Changes

== Description of reign ==

== Description of reign ==

The [[Bible]] nowhere gives a hint as to the year of the birth of Abijam--unusual in the annals of the kings of the Southern Kingdom. Both Bible sources describe Abijam's reign as "evil-doing in the sight of the Lord." The one major exception to this is the [[Battle of Zemaraim]], in which he faced off against an army twice as large as his own and inflicted an incredible 62.5 percent casualties on it. The Chronicler tells us that Abijam won the day at Zemaraim because for once in his reign he trusted in [[God]] and exhorted his forces to do the same. After that battle, Jeroboam was never again able to pose a credible threat to his kingdom.<ref name=WebBible/><ref name=GeoCities>Authors unknown. "[http://www.geocities.com/thekingsofisrael/biography_Abijam.html King Abijam - Biography]." ''The Kings of Israel'', hosted at http://www.geocities.com/ Retrieved June 22, 2007.</ref>

The [[Bible]] nowhere gives a hint as to the year of the birth of Abijam—unusual in the annals of the kings of the Southern Kingdom. Both Bible sources describe Abijam's reign as "evil-doing in the sight of the Lord." The one major exception to this is the [[Battle of Zemaraim]], in which he faced off against an army twice as large as his own and inflicted an incredible 62.5 percent casualties on it. The Chronicler tells us that Abijam won the day at Zemaraim because for once in his reign he trusted in [[God]] and exhorted his forces to do the same. After that battle, Jeroboam was never again able to pose a credible threat to his kingdom.<ref name=WebBible/><ref name=GeoCities>Authors unknown. "[http://www.geocities.com/thekingsofisrael/biography_Abijam.html King Abijam - Biography]." ''The Kings of Israel'', hosted at http://www.geocities.com/ Retrieved June 22, 2007.</ref>

Unhappily, Abijam failed to dismantle the golden calf at [[Bethel]] after capturing it. That task would fall to King [[Josiah]], more than three hundred years later.<ref name=GeoCities/>

Unhappily, Abijam failed to dismantle the golden calf at [[Bethel]] after capturing it. That task would fall to King [[Josiah]], more than three hundred years later.<ref name=GeoCities/>

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== See Also ==

== See also ==

* [[United Kingdom]]

* [[United Kingdom]]

* [[Northern Kingdom]]

* [[Northern Kingdom]]