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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1893 Excerpt:...completely identified with the northern kingdom that it is described as walking in the way or statutes of the kings of Israel (2 K. ivi. 3; xvii. 8), as distinguished from the sin of Jeroboam, which ceased not till the Captivity (2 K. xvii. 23), und the corruption of the ancient inhabitants of the land. The idolatrous priests became a numerous and important caste (1 K. xviii. 19), living under the patronage of royalty, and led at the royal table. The extirpation of Baal's priests by Elijah, and of his followers by Jehu (2 K. x.), in which the royal family of Judah shared (2 Ch. xxii. 7), was a deathblow to this form of idolatry in Israel, though other systems still remained (2 K. xiii. H). But while Israel thus sinned and was punished, Judah was more morally guilty (Ezek. xvi. 51). The alliance of Jehoshaphat with the family of Ahab transferred to the southern kingdom, during the reigns of his son and grandson, all the appurtenances of Baal-worship (2 K. viii. 18, 27). In less than ten years after the death of that king, in whose praise it is recorded that he "sought not the Baalim," nor walked "after the deed of Israel" (2 Ch. xvii. 3, 4), a temple had been built for the idol, statues and altars erected, and priests appointed to minister in his service (2 K..vi. l.s). Jehoiada's vigorous measures checked the evil for a time, but his reform was incomplete, and the high-places still remained, as in the days of Asa, a nucleus fur any fresh svstem of idolatry (J K. xii. 3). Much of this might be due to the influence of the king's mother, Zibiah of Beersheba, a place intimately connected with the idolatrous defection of Judah (Amos viii. 14). 4 Y After the death of Jehoiada. the princes prevailed upon Joash to restore at least some portion o...