Troy D. Cudworth, «The Division of Israel’s Kingdom in Chronicles: A Re-examination of the Usual Suspects.», Vol. 95 (2014) 498-523
The Chronicler constantly adapts the story of Israel’s kingship from the narrative in Samuel-Kings to show his great interest in the temple. With regard to the division of the united kingdom, recent scholarship has correctly shown how he has removed all the blame from Solomon due to his successful construction of the temple, but it has not come to any firm conclusion on whom the Chronicler does find guilty. This article contends that the Chronicler blames Rehoboam for ignoring the plea of «all Israel», an essential facet of the nation’s temple worship.
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The Division of Israel’s Kingdom in Chronicles:
A Re-examination of the Usual Suspects 1
I. Status Quaestionis
The past generation of scholars has done much research to ar-
ticulate the distinct ideologies located within the Chronicler’s his-
tory. This took a major step forward with the work of Japhet and
Williamson, who persuaded many to study the books of Chronicles
and Ezra-Nehemiah as separate works with different authors 2. In
this vein, Japhet wrote her seminal work delineating several as-
pects of the Chronicler’s own particular ideology (e.g. retribution),
while Williamson demonstrated that the Chronicler had a much
more favorable view toward the northern kingdom than the view
evinced by Ezra-Nehemiah 3. Moreover, since that time, numerous
monographs have surfaced to elucidate further the Chronicler’s
understanding of these and similar topics 4, while several other
works have examined his methodology as historian, author, or
theologian 5.
Another type of investigation into the Chronicler’s method
comes from Knoppers, who explores how the Chronicler reformu-
lates the latter half of David’s reign in light of his understanding of
1
I wish to thank my supervisor H.G.M. Williamson for his insightful com-
ments in the preparation of this paper. Any errors that remain are my own.
2
S. JAPHET, “Supposed Common Authorship of Chronicles and Ezra-Ne-
hemia Investigated Anew”, VT 18 (1968) 330-371; H.G.M. WILLIAMSON, Is-
rael in the Books of Chronicles (Cambridge 1977) 5-82.
3
S. JAPHET, The Ideology of the Book of Chronicles and Its Place in Bib-
lical Thought (BEATAJ 9; Frankfurt am Main 1989) 87-140.
4
E.g. B.E. KELLY, Retribution and Eschatology in Chronicles (JSOTSS
211; Sheffield 1996); W. RILEY, King and Cultus in Chronicles. Worship and
the Reinterpretation of History (JSOTSS 160; Sheffield 1993).
5
M.P. GRAHAM – K.G. HOGLUND – S.L. MCKENZIE (eds.), The Chronicler
as Historian (JSOTSS 238; Sheffield 1997); M.P. GRAHAM – S.L. MCKENZIE
(eds.), The Chronicler as Author. Studies in Text and Texture (JSOTSS 263;
Sheffield 1999); M.P. GRAHAM – S.L. MCKENZIE – G.N. KNOPPERS (eds.),
The Chronicler as Theologian. Essays in Honor of Ralph W. Klein (JSOTSS
371; London 2003).
BIBLICA 95.4 (2014) 498-523
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