Ancient Israel was a nation in a state of constant flux. From thousands of years ago up to the present, the region has changed drastically, affecting the lives of millions. At the center of this discord lies the city of Jerusalem. Throughout its history, Jerusalem has been attacked, defended, destroyed, and rebuilt over its long history. Of the thousands of cities in the world, Jerusalem is lauded as one of the holiest, holding significance in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Thousands of years ago, only one of these three religions was present in Jerusalem: Judaism. In Thomas Tweed’s essay, “Space,” Tweed states that religious space can be differentiated through special events, kinetic through change over time, and interrelated through culture.
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Solomon had learned to respect and fear Yahweh from David’s first attempt to transport the Ark. Along the way, Solomon sacrificed “so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered” (1 Kings 8.5). This verse indicates that Solomon was wary not to anger Yahweh as David had. Solomon’s performance obviously pleased Yahweh, as the transfer occurred without going amiss. Although Solomon had appeased Yahweh for the time being, Yahweh wanted to imbue in Solomon the same fear he had imbued in David. Yahweh conveyed this message to Solomon by telling him that as long as he obeyed his orders, then he would protect the Davidic dynasty, but if Solomon turned away from him, he would “cut Israel off from the land that [he had] given them; and the house that [he had] consecrated for [his] name [he] will cast out of [his] sight” (1 Kings 9.7). In this message, Yahweh repeated to Solomon what he told David; Yahweh was the one with the authority over Solomon, and through Solomon, he had authority over the kingdom. In Lamentations, Yahweh makes true to his promise and reveals to the people what happens when the people turned their backs on …show more content…
In 701 BCE, long before Jerusalem’s destruction, the Assyrian king Sennacherib attempted to conquer Jerusalem and failed. According to the Chronicler, Yahweh had sent an angel to decimate the Assyrian forces, forcing the Assyrians to retreat (Armstrong 70). After the inhabitants of Jerusalem saw that Yahweh was protecting them, they believed that Jerusalem was an unconquerable fortress. As long as Yahweh was in the city, Jerusalem could not be taken. Although Yahweh had defended the city, the people he protected forgot about his covenant with David and Solomon, and they worshipped other gods. The author of Lamentations wrote that “Jerusalem sinned grievously,” (Lam. 1.8), and as a result, “the Lord handed me [Jerusalem] over to those whom I cannot withstand” (Lam. 1.14). These verses indicate that the people of Jerusalem had upset Yahweh by worshipping other deities. This idolatry went against the terms that Solomon and David had agreed to in their covenants with Yahweh, and this blatant disrespect of Yahweh caused him to react negatively. Yahweh executed the punishment part of his promise to David and Solomon, and showed the Israelites what would happen when he relinquished his protection over the city and handed it over to its
Solomon had learned to respect and fear Yahweh from David’s first attempt to transport the Ark. Along the way, Solomon sacrificed “so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered” (1 Kings 8.5). This verse indicates that Solomon was wary not to anger Yahweh as David had. Solomon’s performance obviously pleased Yahweh, as the transfer occurred without going amiss. Although Solomon had appeased Yahweh for the time being, Yahweh wanted to imbue in Solomon the same fear he had imbued in David. Yahweh conveyed this message to Solomon by telling him that as long as he obeyed his orders, then he would protect the Davidic dynasty, but if Solomon turned away from him, he would “cut Israel off from the land that [he had] given them; and the house that [he had] consecrated for [his] name [he] will cast out of [his] sight” (1 Kings 9.7). In this message, Yahweh repeated to Solomon what he told David; Yahweh was the one with the authority over Solomon, and through Solomon, he had authority over the kingdom. In Lamentations, Yahweh makes true to his promise and reveals to the people what happens when the people turned their backs on …show more content…
In 701 BCE, long before Jerusalem’s destruction, the Assyrian king Sennacherib attempted to conquer Jerusalem and failed. According to the Chronicler, Yahweh had sent an angel to decimate the Assyrian forces, forcing the Assyrians to retreat (Armstrong 70). After the inhabitants of Jerusalem saw that Yahweh was protecting them, they believed that Jerusalem was an unconquerable fortress. As long as Yahweh was in the city, Jerusalem could not be taken. Although Yahweh had defended the city, the people he protected forgot about his covenant with David and Solomon, and they worshipped other gods. The author of Lamentations wrote that “Jerusalem sinned grievously,” (Lam. 1.8), and as a result, “the Lord handed me [Jerusalem] over to those whom I cannot withstand” (Lam. 1.14). These verses indicate that the people of Jerusalem had upset Yahweh by worshipping other deities. This idolatry went against the terms that Solomon and David had agreed to in their covenants with Yahweh, and this blatant disrespect of Yahweh caused him to react negatively. Yahweh executed the punishment part of his promise to David and Solomon, and showed the Israelites what would happen when he relinquished his protection over the city and handed it over to its