Rehoboam Fortifies Judah

"Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me." "And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah. He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, and Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam, And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron."

"And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts. For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off."

"So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah… three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon." Rehoboam loves Maachah, daughter of Absalom, above his other wives, and makes her son Abijah chief prince.

The fortress list

The list (11:5–10) is not in Kings. Many of the towns are excavated (Lachish, Azekah, Beth-zur, Mareshah). Scholars date the list variously: to Rehoboam after Shishak's invasion, or to Hezekiah's or Josiah's time, attributed to Rehoboam. Its eastern and southern lines suggest a defense against Egypt.

Northern faithful come south

Chronicles stresses that faithful northerners joined Judah, reinforcing its idea that "all Israel" was represented in Jerusalem.