Solomon's son Rehoboam was acknowledged as the rightful king by the elders of Judah and he journeyed north to Shechem. Here at Shechem "all Israel" gathered together and they refused to allow Rehoboam to have the throne unless he promised to forsake his father’s repressive policies. Rehoboam received advice from many of the elders, but he chose to listen to the younger men around him and he swore that his yoke would be even heavier than his fathers’:
"My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions."
The elders of Israel refused the prideful young king and decided to anoint their own king, Jeroboam the Ephraimite who had rebelled against Solomon.
It was at this point that the monarchy was divided into two kingdoms, each having its own king.