My Educational Philosophy

1. My Educational Philosophy

2. Describe the transition from a united monarchy to a divided monarchy • Thesis • The Jewish people were never completely united even under David and Solomon and the division should be viewed as a continuation of their separate history . • Facts • Rule by shoftim only during time of crisis • Sheba ben Bichri’s revolt • Solomon built the Milo • Rebellion by Jeroboam over high taxes • Golden Calves • Essay • Since the time of the Exodus the Jewish people were ruled locally by town councils who in turn were ruled by tribal leaders. At times of crisis the entire Jewish people united under a strong leader called a Shofet. When the Philistines became a major threat the tribes united under a single king but remained divided by tribe. This can be seen by Sheba ben Bichri’s rebellion where he claims that the tribes of Israel have no part of David and Judah. Solomon controlled the people’s independent feelings by appointing 12 governors over the land but part of Jeroboam’s public rebuke of Solomon’s building the Milo included the fact that the king was isolating himself from the people. During the time of Rehaboamthe people rebelled because of high taxes and followed the lead of Jeroboam who made the same claim as Sheba ben Bichri – that the tribes of Israel are not being taken care of by a king of Judah. When Jeroboam started ruling the northern kingdom he made a new state religion to keep the people disunited and directed popular worship to golden calves that he made.

3. Describe the relationship between Aram-Damascus and Israel during the reign of the Omrides • Thesis • Aram-Damascus and Israel were rivals over the via maris during the time of the Omrides • Facts • Omri allied with Phoenicia • The alliance with Phoenicia deprived Damascus of trade from the via maris • Damascus fought 2wars against Israel • 3 years of Peace • Fought together against Assyria • Another war between Aram and Israel • Essay • When Omri took control of the kingdom of Israel he allied himself with the Phoenicians. He married Jezebel the daughter of the king of Tyre to his son Ahab. This allowed the via maris trade route to bring goods from Egypt to Phoenicia. However, this alliance caused the Egyptian trade to go up the coast and not to Damascus as it had been going in the past. Damascus saw the loss of trade as a serious threat and went to war to regain it. They fought 2 wars against Ahab which they lost and the trade route remained in Israelite hands. Then there were 3 years of peace when Damascus and Israel joined in a coalition of 12 nations to deal with the rise of Assyria. This co-operation shows that Damascus and Israel were not mortal enemies but rather trade rivals. So it makes sense that right after the Assyrian threat was dealt with, Aram and Israel again went to war.

4. Describe the evolution of prophesy from the days of the shoftim to amos • Thesis • Prophesy changed to meet the needs of the people at every time • Facts • Joshua was a military leader • The Shoftim united the tribes to face threats • Shmuel and Elijah to anoint kings • Elijah and Elisha rebuked the kings • Amos rebuked the wealthy • Essay • Hashem sent prophets to the Jewish people to help them during their time of need. As history progressed the needs of the people changed and so did the role of prophesy. After Moshe died the Jewish people were not yet in the land of Israel. Joshua, a prophet, led the people in the war to conquer the land of Israel. Once in the land the Shoftim were prophets who united the other wise disunited tribes of Israel to defeat external enemies. When it was time to insure that the monarchy was accepted by the people, Hashem sent Shmuel, and Ahijah to anoint the kings of Judah and Israel. During the time of the Omrides when the kings were worshiping foreign idols but the people were loyal to Hashem, Elijah, and Elisha were called to rebuke the kings. Finally as the upper class became more and more wealthy they took advantage of the poor. Hashem sent Amos to rebuke them.

5. Explain the religious development of the Jewish People from the time of eli until the period of jeroboam ii • Thesis • Orthodox Judaism centralized while syncretistic worship attempted to decentralize • Facts • Baamos are permitted but become forbidden • People continue to worship on baamos • Temples had both alters to Hashem and idols • Jeroboam’s calves • Upper class more exposed to the foreign culture became more involved with syncretistic worship. • Essay • During the period from Eli until Jeroboam II there were two opposing forces shaping the religious practices of the Jewish people. Orthodox Judaism was centralizing while syncretistic worship decentralized Judaic practices. After the battle of Ebenezer, and the destruction of Shiloh, Orthodox Judaism was decentralized and allowed sacrifice on Baamos located anywhere. When Solomon built the Beis Hamikdash, sacrifice was only permitted in the Beis Hamikdash. This did not stop people from worshiping on their own Baamos but it shows that Orthodox Judaism was attempting to centralize around the Beis Hamikdash. After the split of the kingdom Jeroboam instituted golden calves to keep the Jewish people from worshiping in Jerusalem. As the kingdom of Israel expanded and grew more wealthy, the Jewish people became more exposed to the idols of the cultures around them. They began to worship those foreign idols, usually the people also worshiped Hashem as part of their pantheon this is called syncretistic worship. This pulled more people away from the centralized worship of Hashem in Jerusalem

6. How did the economic situation during the time of jeroboam ii of Israel and azariah of Judah compare and contrast to the situation during the time of Solomon • Thesis • The time of Jeroboam II and Solomon were both times of prosperity by during Solomon's era the country was expanding and building a bigger state whereas during the time of Jeroboam II the country was rebuilding but not expanding. • Facts • Peace in both times • Control of both trade routes • Kingdom territory expanded • Control of the port of Eilat • City expansion during Solomon not during jeroboam • Essay • In both the time of Solomon and Jeroboam II there was peace and prosperity. Israel controlled both trade routes and their territory expanded north to Hamas and south to the port of Eilat. In both times there was expanded trade in luxury items like ivory from Phoenicia. However, archeology revels that there was a difference. Building projects in the time of Solomon expanded the size of cities however, in the time of Jeroboam II there was a general rebuilding the older towns and cities but no expansion.

7. Discuss how the kings of Israel and Judah were selected during periods of contested succession • Thesis • The kings of Israel were chosen by coup. But the kings of Judah were chosen by the peoples will. • Facts • Baasha assonated Nadab • Omri assonated Zmri • Jehu assassinated Jehoram. • Athaliah replaced by Jehoash by Jehoidah • Amazia was killed and Azariah replaced him. • Essay • In the Kingdom of Israel when there was a contested succession the result was a coup. A strong general assonated the old king and becomes king himself. This is what happened when Baasha assassinated Nadab, and when Omri assassinated Zmri, and when Jehu killed Jehoram. • In Judah when there was contested succession then the people chose a new king from the sons of the old king to keep the line of David. This happened when Jehoiadah brought out Jehoash and the people killed Athalia, and when Amaziah was killed and the people appointed Azariah. The only exception was when Ahazia was killed by Jehu during his coup against Jehoram king of Israel.