CH. IV. — Solomon dedicates the Temple — The reign of Rehoboam — The separation of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. THE temple, as it has been mentioned, haying been built by Solomon, he consecrated it with great solemnity on the tenth of September. The house of the forest of Lebanon, and the royal palace, were built in a wonderful manner. The queen of Sheba was received with great honour. But his praiseworthy life was miserably stained by illicit love. After Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king, against whom there rose up Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim, and he separated the ten tribes from Judah, and from the house of David, which happened, not by chance, but by the decree of God, on account of the offence of Solomon, who, after he had built that most noble temple at Jerusalem, was seduced by the blandishments of women, and fell into idolatry. But the pitying and mereiful God would not deprive him of the kingdom of his father before his death, on account of David his servant. Afterwards, when each part, as it is written, began to have its separate king, there remained with the tribe of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, the tribe of Levi also, which was the tribe of the priesthood, dedicated to the especial service of the Lord. And after this time, these three tribes were called the kingdom of Judah, and the other tribe had the name of the kingdom of Israel. There adhered also to the people of Israel the two tribes Manaseeh and Ephraim, which are not of the twelve tribes. For Joseph, who was one of the twelve patriarchs, did not make one tribe like the other patriarchs, but two, namely, those which we have just named. Jeroboam being a man of perverse mind, established idolatry in Samaria and throughout all his kingdom. For he was afraid lest, by coming to the temple of God which was in Jerusalem, and to which, according to the divine command, the whole nation was bound to come for the purpose of sacrificing, his people should be reduced and restored to the rule of the race of David, as being the royal family. On which account, as has been already said, he polluted the whole people of Israel with wicked impiety. For he lived by the advice of Abdo the prophet, and did not forsake his evil ways, and