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having all subject to him, as was said before, and bringing tribute as much as possible; but when he was stripped of this, he became an easy target for his enemies. Truly it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. For just as his mercy is unspeakable, 1.172 so too is his punishment unbearable. That he served idols, having abandoned the truly existing God of his father David, is clear from what Ahijah the prophet also said to Jeroboam. "Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give you the ten scepters, and two scepters I will give to him for the sake of David my servant and Jerusalem my city, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, because he has forsaken me, and served Astarte the abomination of the Sidonians, and Chemosh the idol of Moab, and Milcom the offense of the sons of Ammon, * and many foreign women. And furthermore he took the daughter of Pharaoh from the nations of which the Lord forbade the sons of Israel, you shall not go in among them, and they shall not come in among you, lest they turn your hearts away after their idols. And they turned his heart in the time of his old age after their gods. And he built a high place for Chemosh the idol of Moab on the mountain, before Jerusalem, and for Milcom the idol of the sons of Ammon, and for Astarte the abomination of the Sidonians; and so he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their idols. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, and said: Because you have not kept my commandments which I commanded you, I will surely tear your kingdom from your hand, and will give it to your servant; however, in your days I will not do these things, nor will I take the whole kingdom 1.173. One scepter I will give to you for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of the kingdom which I have chosen." And for David when he died, Solomon made a monument near Siloam, cave-like in its depth, contrived so as not to be seen. And he buried with his father many thousands of talents of gold, as Josephus says. There Solomon himself also, having died, was buried. And they say that Hyrcanus the priest, later, when the city was being besieged, opened the monument and carried out from there three thousand talents of gold. But also that Herod after him opened the tomb, but did not find money; but they relate that he took up golden ornaments and very many treasures, but having tried to go further inside, was stopped by fire. And when Solomon died, Rehoboam succeeded to the kingdom. And he went to Shechem, because all Israel went there to make him king; and the people spoke to Rehoboam, “Your father made our yoke heavy, and now you lighten it, and we will serve you.” And the king said, “Go away for three days; return, and I will speak to you.” And Rehoboam reported the word of the people to the elders. And they said, “You shall do as they have asked you, and they will be your servants all the days.” And he consulted with the young men who stood with him about this, and they said, “Speak to the people thus. My little finger is thicker than my father's loins. My father 1.174 subjected you to a heavy yoke, I will add to his yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, I will discipline you with scorpions.” Rehoboam spoke this counsel of the young men to Israel when they returned; and all the people answered, “We have no more a portion in David, nor an inheritance in the son of Jesse. Run away, Israel, to your tents, shepherd your house, David, and judge.” And the kingdom of Solomon was divided; and to Rehoboam remained the tribe from Judah and that of Benjamin, but the remaining ten tribes appointed Jeroboam the son of Nebat as king. The house of the kingdom for Rehoboam was in Jerusalem, and the multitude arrayed under him was called Judah and the house of David, having taken its name from the more dominant tribe. And of the

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πάντας ἔχων ὑποκειμένους, καθὼς προείρηται, καὶ δασμὸν κομίζοντας ὅτι μάλιστα· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ταύτης ἐγυμνώθη, τοῖς δυσμενέσιν εὐεπιχείρητος γέγονεν. ἀληθῶς ὄντως φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας θεοῦ ζῶντος. ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἔλεος ἄρρητος, 1.172 οὕτω καὶ ἡ κόλασις ἀνυπόστατος. ὅτι δὲ τοῖς εἰδώλοις ἐλάτρευσε, καταλείψας τὸν ὄντως ὄντα θεὸν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ∆αβίδ, εὔδη λον ἐξ ὧν καὶ Ἀχίας ὁ προφήτης ἔφη πρὸς τὸν Ἰεροβοάμ. "τάδε λέγει κύριος· ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ῥήσσω τὴν βασιλείαν ἐκ χειρὸς Σολομῶν τος, καὶ δώσω σοι τὰ δέκα σκῆπτρα, καὶ δύο σκῆπτρα δώσω αὐτῷ διὰ ∆αβὶδ τὸν δοῦλόν μου καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὴν πόλιν μου, ἣν ἐξελεξάμην ἐκ πασῶν τῶν φυλῶν Ἰσραήλ, ἀνθ' ὧν ἐγκατέλιπέ με, καὶ ἐδούλευσε τῇ Ἀστάρτῃ βδελύγματι Σιδονίων, καὶ τῷ Χαμὼς εἰδώλῳ Μωάβ, καὶ τῷ Μελχὼμ προσοχθίσματι υἱῶν Ἀμών, * καὶ γυναῖκας ἀλλοτρίας πολλάς. καὶ ἔτι ἔλαβε τὴν θυγατέρα Φαραὼ ἐκ τῶν ἐθνῶν ὧν ἀπεῖπε κύριος τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ, οὐκ εἰσελεύσεσθε ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐκ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς ὑμᾶς, ἵνα μὴ ἐκκλίνωσι τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὀπίσω τῶν εἰδώλων αὐτῶν. καὶ ἔκλιναν αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν ἐν καιρῷ γήρως αὐτοῦ ὀπίσω τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν. καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ὑψηλὸν τῷ Χαμὼς εἰ δώλῳ Μωὰβ ἐν τῷ ὄρει, ἐπὶ προσώπου Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ τῷ Μελχὼμ εἰδώλῳ υἱῶν Ἀμών, καὶ τῇ Ἀστάρτῃ βδελύγματι Σιδονίων· καὶ οὕτως ἐποίησε πάσαις ταῖς γυναιξὶν αὐτοῦ ταῖς ἀλλο τρίαις, αἳ ἐθυμίων καὶ ἔθυον τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν. καὶ ὠργίσθη κύριος τῷ Σολομῶντι, καὶ εἶπεν· ἀνθ' ὧν οὐκ ἐφύλαξας τὰ προστάγματά μου ἃ ἐνετειλάμην σοι, διαρρήσσων διαρρήξω τὴν βασιλείαν σου ἐκ χειρός σου, καὶ δώσω αὐτὴν τῷ δούλῳ σου· πλὴν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις σου οὐ ποιήσω ταῦτα, οὐδὲ ὅλην τὴν βασιλείαν 1.173 λήψομαι. σκῆπτρον ἓν δώσω σοι διὰ ∆αβὶδ τὸν δοῦλόν μου καὶ διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν ἣν ἐξελεξάμην." Ἀποθανόντι δὲ τῷ ∆αβὶδ ἐποίησε Σολομῶν μνημεῖον παρὰ τῷ Σιλωὰμ ἀντρῶδες διὰ βάθους, πρὸς τὸ μὴ ὁρᾶσθαι μεμη χανημένον. συγκατώρυξε δὲ τῷ πατρὶ καὶ χρυσίου πολλὰς μυ ριάδας, ὡς Ἰώσηπός φησιν. ἐκεῖ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Σολομῶν ἀποθα νὼν ἐτάφη. φασὶ δὲ καὶ Ὑρκανὸν ὕστερον τὸν ἱερέα, τῆς πό λεως πολιορκουμένης, ἀνοῖξαι τὸ μνημεῖον καὶ χρυσοῦ τρισχίλια τάλαντα ἐκεῖθεν ἐκφορῆσαι. ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἡρώδην μετ' αὐτὸν ἀνοῖξαι μὲν τὸν τάφον, χρήματα δὲ μὴ εὑρεῖν· κόσμον δὲ χρυσοῦν καὶ κειμήλια πάμπολλα τοῦτον ἀνελέσθαι ἱστοροῦσι, πειραθέντα δὲ καὶ ἐνδοτέρω χωρεῖν πυρὶ ἐπισχεθῆναι. Ἀποθανόντος δὲ τοῦ Σολομῶντος Ῥοβοὰμ τὴν βασιλείαν διαδέχεται. καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπῆλθεν εἰς Σίκιμα, ὅτι ἐκεῖ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ ἀπῄεσαν τοῦ βασιλεῦσαι αὐτόν· καὶ ἐλάλησεν ὁ λαὸς πρὸς Ῥοβοάμ «ὁ πατήρ σου ἐβάρυνε τὸν κλοιὸν ἡμῶν, καὶ σὺ νῦν κούφισον, καὶ δουλεύσομέν σοι.» καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς «ἀπέλθετε ἕως ἡμερῶν τριῶν· ἀναστρέψατε, καὶ λαλήσω ὑμῖν.» καὶ ἀπήγγειλε Ῥοβοὰμ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦ λαοῦ. καὶ αὐτοὶ εἶπον «ὡς ᾐτή σαντό σε ποιήσεις, καὶ αὐτοὶ δοῦλοί σου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας.» καὶ συνεβουλεύσατο μετὰ τῶν παιδαρίων τῶν παρεστώτων αὐτῷ περὶ τούτου, καὶ αὐτοὶ εἶπον «λάλησον τῷ λαῷ οὕτως. ἡ σμι κρότης μου παχυτέρα ἐστὶ τῆς ὀσφύος τοῦ πατρός μου. ὁ πατήρ 1.174 μου ὑπέτασσεν ὑμᾶς ἐν κλοιῷ βαρεῖ, ἐγὼ προσθήσω ἐπὶ τῷ κλοιῷ αὐτοῦ· ὁ πατήρ μου ἐπαίδευσεν ὑμᾶς ἐν μάστιξιν, ἐγὼ παιδεύσω ὑμᾶς ἐν σκορπίῳ.» ταύτην τὴν βουλὴν τῶν παιδαρίων εἶπε Ῥο βοὰμ ὑποστρέψαντι τῷ Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἀπεκρίθη πᾶς ὁ λαός «οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἔτι μερὶς ἐν ∆αβίδ, οὐδὲ κληρονομία ἐν υἱῷ Ἰεσσαί. ἀπότρεχε Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὰ σκηνώματά σου, βόσκε τὸν οἶκόν σου ∆αβίδ, καὶ κρῖνε.» καὶ διεμερίσθη ἡ βασιλεία Σολομῶντος· καὶ αὐτῷ μὲν τῷ Ῥοβοὰμ ἡ ἐξ Ἰούδα παραμένει φυλὴ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Βενιαμίν, αἱ δὲ λοιπαὶ δέκα φυλαὶ Ἰεροβοὰμ τὸν τοῦ Ναβὰτ προεστήσαντο βασιλέα. ἦν μὲν τῷ Ῥοβοὰμ τῆς βασιλείας ὁ οἶκος ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἐκαλεῖτο δὲ τὸ ὑπ' αὐτὸν ταττόμενον πλῆθος Ἰούδας καὶ ὁ οἶκος ∆αβίδ, ἐκ τῆς ἐπικρατεστέρας φυλῆς εἰληφὼς τὴν προσηγορίαν. τοῦ δὲ