King Jeroboam establishes the worship of a Golden Calf

According to 1 Kings 12:25-33, Jeroboam was concerned that if the people of the northern kingdom continued to go to Jerusalem, which was in the southern kingdom of Judah, to worship at the temple, their allegiance might shift back to the house of David (the ruling dynasty in Judah). To prevent this, Jeroboam decided to establish alternative places of worship within the northern kingdom.

Fearing that the people might return to the Davidic dynasty if they continued to worship in Jerusalem, Jeroboam set up two golden calves, one in Bethel and the other in Dan. These golden calves served as symbols of worship, and Jeroboam declared that they were the gods who brought Israel out of Egypt. This act was a departure from the worship prescribed by God in the Mosaic Law, which prohibited the creation of graven images for worship.