Sometimes a brilliant breaks in on the surrounding night
(2Kings ix. x.), but after it we grope in the dark again. Only
so much of the old tradition has been preserved as those of a
later age held to be of religious value: it has lost its original
centre of gravity, and assumed an attitude which it certainly had
not at first. It may have been the case in Judah that the temple
was of more importance than the kingdom, but there can be no
doubt that the history of Israel was not entirely, not even
principally, the history of prophecy. The losses we have to
deplore must have affected the Israelitish tradition most
seriously.
The damage done by the revision by its _positive_ meddling with
the materials as found in the sources, is not so irreparable; yet
it is considerable enough. The change of colour which was effected
may be best seen and characterised in the far-reaching
observations which introduce the Israelite series of kings;
"Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the
house of David; if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house
of Jehovah at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn
again to their rightful lord, and they will kill me, and become
subject again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
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