uly emerged. Until now, there were two main reasons the Hebrews had stayed together: outside threats, and monotheistic belief in Yahweh.
             Solomon, the most powerful king of the Hebrews shared their belief in monotheism or belief in one god above all others. The Hebrews were the first people known to believe in the existence of a single, omnipotent god. Their religion was dominant in their lives, as they had rules and regulations for every conceivable situation. The Torah, their holy works, was very specific in the manner in which their lives were conducted.
             With the rigidity of their religion, it was relatively easy for Solomon to secure his power base in Israel. He built a lavish central temple in his capital, Jerusalem, and secured control over the dominant class, the Levies, or priests. With the new "City of God," Solomon ushered in a period of peace and prosperity for the kingdom of Israel.
             As is often the case when a state is control by a strong personality, the Hebrew State's glory was short lived. With Solomon's death, succession problems and favoritism tore the realm apart. Ten of the original twelve tribes organized their own state, called Israel. Israel fell to Assyrian invaders 200 years later. The dispersion of the tribes to various parts of the Assyrian Empire led to their assimilation. They were subsequently labeled "The Lost Tribes."
             The remaining two tribes, Judah, Solomon's tribe, and Levy, the priests, formed the significantly smaller state of Judah. In 586 B.C.E., 386 years after the death of Solomon, Judah fell to the Chaldeans. The Chaldeans deported the Jews to Babylon, and thus the Jews lost their stateho
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