Final answer:
The northern kingdom's destruction and exile are attributed to its failure to obey Yahweh's commands, as the prophets in Judah claimed that the deviation from the covenant with Yahweh led to this punishment, ultimately resulting in the Babylonian Captivity and the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the textbook, the destruction and exile of the northern kingdom were a result of disobedience and abandonment of Yahweh's covenant, as interpreted by prophets in Judah. Prophets called for religious reforms in Judah to avoid a similar fate. The destruction of Israel was seen as punishment for veering from the covenant with Yahweh, and with the fall of the Assyrian Empire and the rise of the Neo-Babylonians, Judah faced new challenges. Despite initially being a vassal, rebellious actions led to the Babylonian punishment, including the Babylonian Captivity in 597 BCE and the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 586 BCE. The biblical narrative often describes this consequence as divine retribution for Israel's and Judah's infidelity to their religious traditions and monotheistic worship of Yahweh.