The Babylonian Exile
Friday, July 7, 2017
Soon after Solomon’s death the United Kingdom was divided into two independent nations. The northern ten tribes became the nation of Israel and the remaining two tribes in the south became the country of Judah. The Jews in the north continued to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem in order to attend the festivals. This meant that a great deal of wealth left Israel and was turned over to those who governed to the Temple which was of course located in Judah. But you can’t attend the festivals without spending money on lodging, meals, etc. For Judah, the pilgrims were religious tourists whose presence greatly infused the local economy; it was a win/win proposition.