Painting of the French artist Jean Honore Fragonard “Jeroboam brings a sacrifice to idols”. The size of the picture is 115 x 145 cm, canvas, oil. The painting of the painter is also known under the names “The Sacrifice of Jeroboam” and “Jeroboam worships idols”. In 1752, for the performance in the tradition of academic historical painting, the canvas “Jeroboam sacrifices to idols” Fragonard was awarded the first prize of the Roman competition, which gave the right to travel to Italy. Jeroboam, the son of Nabat of the tribe of Ephraim, was the cause of the division of the Jewish monarchy into two kingdoms – the Jewish and the Israeli – and the founder of the first Israeli dynasty.
In his youth, Jeroboam was in the service of Solomon, as a caretaker over the workers from the Ephraim tribe. Then he recognized the burdens that the people had to bear to satisfy the immoderate whims of the tsar, heard the murmur of the workers, saw the court troubles and the moral debauchery of the tsar himself. At the sight of all this, the pride of the Ephraim was awakened in him, as a member of that tribe, to whom the brilliant future was promised in the blessing of Jacob and which now had to slavishly serve the tribe of Judah. The prophet Ahijah predicted to Jeroboam that he would be king of all the northern tribes, so that behind the house of David there will be only two tribes.
When the news reached Solomon, Jeroboam fled to Egypt and there he enjoyed the protection of the pharaoh until the time of the deposition of the northern tribes from Solomon’s son Rehoboam. The laid-off tribes called upon Jeroboam, and he became the first king of the kingdom of Israel. He strengthened the boundaries of his kingdom, built several new cities and generally did a lot for his people; but his fear was ruined, no matter how the people again returned to the authority of the house of David. With this goal, Jeroboam began to strive in every way to alienate his kingdom from Jerusalem, with its temples, and even made a religious schism, establishing worship and sacrifice to the golden calves. The dynasty that he founded ceased in the person of his son Navata, after which the throne of Israel became the prey of various usurpers.
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