David
David (דָּוִד "Beloved", Standard Hebrew Davíd, Tiberian Hebrew Dāwiḏ; Arabic داود Dāʾūd "Beloved"), as referred to as King David, was the second and most famous kings of ancient Israel, as well as the most mentioned man in the Hebrew Bible. He is the archtypal biblical king and the ancestor of the Messiah in both Jewish and Christian tradition. Critical scholars argue over the historicity of David and his supposedly united kingdom of Israel and Judah, but there is no disagreement concerning his signifcance as the biblical paradigm of a monarch approved by God.
The successor to King Saul, who was the first official king of the biblical united Kingdom of Israel, David's forty-year reign is estimated to have lasted from roughly 1005 B.C.E. to 965 B.C.E. The account of his life and rule are recorded in the Books of Samuel and the first of the two Books of Chronicles.
David is regarded by the Bible as "a man after God's own heart" (1 Sam 13:14). Despite his well-known moral flaws, most Jews and Christians view him as having been the most righteous of all the ancient kings of Israel, rivaled perhaps only by King Josiah (2 Kings 23:25). David was also an acclaimed warrior, monarch, musician and [[poet]. He is traditionally credited with the authorship of many of the psalms recorded in the book of [[Psalms], although both critical and pious scholarship cast doubt on this.
In the Bible, God is described as promising that the Davidic line would endure forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Judaism traditionally teaches that the Messiah will be a direct descendant of King David, and Christians trace the lineage of Jesus back to him.
David's life
David's early life
David was the seventh and youngest son of Jesse, a resident of Bethlehem. His mother's name is not recorded. A midrashic tradition holds that he was the son of a slave-woman belonging to Jesse. As to his personal appearance, he is described as being ruddy and handsome (1 Samuel 16:12; 17:42).
David's early occupation was to tend his father's sheep on the uplands of Judah. His first recorded exploits were his encounters with the wild beasts. He boasted to King Saul he slew a lion and also a bear, when they raided his flock. (1 Samuel 17:34-35).
While David was thus engaged with his flocks, the Prophet Samuel paid an unexpected visit to Bethlehem. There he offered up sacrifice, and called the town elders as well as Jesse's family to the sacrificial meal. Among all who appeared before him he failed to discover the one he sought. David was sent for, and the prophet immediately recognized him as the chosen of God, chosen to succeed King Saul. He accordingly poured on his head the anointing oil. David went back again to his shepherd life, but "the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward (1 Sam. 16:13).
Not long after this David was sent for to soothe with his harp the troubled spirit of King Saul, who suffered from a strange melancholy dejection, caused by "an evil spirt from the Lord" (1 Sam. 16:4). Soon, the armies of the Philistines and Israel were in battle array in the valley of Elah, some 16 miles south-west of Bethlehem. David swore to fight the Philistine champion, the giant Goliath. David took only his sling, and with a well-trained aim threw a stone which struck the giant's forehead. David then ran to cut off Goliath's head with Goliath's own sword (1 Sam. 17). The result was a great victory for the Israelites, who pursued the Philistines to the gates of Gath and Ekron. [This famous episode is challenged by critical scholars not only because of its obvious legendary quality, but also because the Phlistine giant Goliath is elsewhere described as having been killed by someone other than David, namely Elhanan son of Jair (1 Cron. 20:5).]
David quickly rose to prominence as a military leader under Saul. However the young leader's battle prowess resulted in a popular slogan: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands" (1 Sam. 18:7). Despite David's romantic marriage to Saul's daughter Michal and the deep friendship between David and Saul's son Jonathan, Saul conceived a bitter hatred toward David, and by various stratagems sought his death (1 Sam. 18:29).
During the period of his persecution by Saul, David and his military followers lived as exiles. He forged important alliances with Judean/Israelite figures such as the prophet Gad, the priest Ahimelech and his son Abiathar, and the Yahwist priests of Nob, whom Saul outrageously murdered (1 Sam 22). He also married Abigail of Carmel, widow of the Calebite chieftan Nabal, as well as Ahinoam of Jezreel. On the run from Saul, David eventually accepted the city of Ziklag as a fief from Israel's enemy, the Philistine king Achish of Gath (1 Sam 27:2-6). Until shortly before Saul's death at Gilboa, David worked as a mercenary general for King Achish. David may have adopted iron technology (as opposed to bronze) from the Philistines during this time.
Reign as King of Judah
David returned to Judah at God's command (2 Sam. 2) after Saul and Jonathan's deaths in battle against the Philistines. He went to Hebron, where the leaders of the tribe of Judah, anointed him as king over the tribe. The northern tribes, however, did not initiatlly recognize David, and instead followed Saul's son, Ish-Bosheth.
There followed a long and bitter civil war between Judah (supporting David) and the northern tribes (supporting Ish-Bosheth). Eventually, Abner, Saul's army commander and advisor, broke with Ish-Bosheth and went over to David's side, bringing with him key elements of the northern alliance, including David's first wife Michal, whom Saul had given to another man in David's absence. David's general, Joab, soon murdered Abner. The war finally ended when Ish-Bosheth was assassinated by two of his own men.
David's reign over the United Monarchy
With Ish-Bosheth out of the picture, the leaders of all the northern tribes came to David and declared him king by popular assent. (2 Sam. 5) He reigned over Israel for a while longer in Hebron, but eventually decided on conquering the Jebusite fortress of Salem, also calledJerusalem, a key mountain stronghold the Israelites had been unable to capture despite having lived around it for centuries.
David conquered Jerusalemand made it his capital. In a gesture of good will, the Phonecian king Hiram of Trye sent valuable presents of material and craftsmen to assist David in building a new palace. David solidified his Iraelite alliances by taking new wives and concubines from allied tribes. He then then turned in force against his old allies, the Philistines, defeating them soundly with God's help (2 Sam. 5). He then brought the Ark of the Covenant to the city. However, David's uninhibted dancing during this procession earned him the disapproval of Michal, who expressed displeasure by his public display (2 Sam. 6). After this, David and his first love apparently became permanently estranged.
The Bible says that David intended to build a temple in which to house the ark, but through the Prophet Nathan, God commanded him not to do. Nathan prophecied that one of David's offspring would be the one to build the "House of the Lord" (2 Sam. 7:14).
David's reign during the remaining years of his life was marked by additional military victories as well as considerable political acumen. He subdued and exacted tribute from the nearby tribes of Moab, Ammon, and Edom, as well as the Arameans to the north (2 Sam 8). However, his reign was marred by scandal, rebellion and tragedy. Hisinfamous affiar with Bathseba (see below) brought the condemnation of the prophet Nathan and — according to the biblical authors — resulted both in the death of their first son and the later rebellion of David's heir-apparent, Absalom. David also faced the shame of incest between his son Amnon and daughter Tamar, the murder of Amnon by Absalom (2 Sam. 13), and Absalom's rebellious public act of sexual intercourse David's concubines (2 Sam. 16). In the subsequent war between David's forces and Absalom's,some of the nothern tribes seem to have supported the usurper (2 Sam 18), and later threw their lot with the rebel Sheba, son of Bichri, under the slogan "We have no share in David" (2 Sam 20). This begs the question as to how "united" the United Kingdom of David really was.
Near the end of his life, David had to face an acrimonious struggle over the question of who would succeed him. David's eldest living son, Adonijah, began to reign as king against David's wishes while the old king still lived. The usurper had the support both of the priest Abiathiar and David's most powerful general, Joab. Ironically, David's old nemesis, the prophet Nathan, threw his support behind Bathsheba and her son Solomon. Together, they prevailed on David to support Solomon's claim to the throne. The story ends happily, as the glorious King Solomon is aoninted with David's blessing (1 Kings 1).
David's family
David's father
Jesse (ישי "Gift", Standard Hebrew Yíšay, Tiberian Hebrew Yíšay / Yēšay), King David's father, was the son of Obed, son of Boaz and Ruth the Moabite whose story is told at length in the Book of Ruth. They were of the tribe of Judah. David's lineage is fully documented in Ruth 4:18-22. (The "Pharez" that heads the line is Judah's son, Genesis 38:29).
David's wives
David had eight wives, although he appears to have had children from other women as well.
- The first one was Michal, a daughter of King Saul.
- The second was Ahinoam of Jezreel.
- The third was Abigail, previously wife of the evil Nabal.
- The fourth was Maachah.
- The fifth was Haggith.
- The sixth was Avital.
- The seventh was Eglah.
- The eighth was Bathsheba.
Bathsheba
In the Old Testament, Bathsheba ("the seventh daughter" or the "daughter of the oath"), the daughter of Ammiel, is the wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of King David. She is the mother of King Solomon. In 1 Chronicles 3:5 she is called Bath-shua.
2 Samuel 11:1 to 12:25 tells the story of David's adultery with Bathsheba, and his subsequent murder of Uriah in order to conceal his guilt. (The story is ommited from Chronicles) His plan comes unstuck when God sends the prophet Nathan to denounce David by means of a parable. David is completely taken in, declaring at the end of it, "The man who did this deserves to die!" only to be told by Nathan, "You are that man".
Although both David and Bathsheba are spared death for this crime, their first child dies after only 7 days. Furthermore, the Bible claims that the subsequent string of intrigues, murders and infighting including civil war that plagues David's later life is part of a curse imposed as additional punishment.
In the Gospel of Matthew (1:6) she is listed as an ancestor of Jesus.
David's sons
As given in 1 Chronicles, chapter 3 (KJV). David had sons by wives and concubines; their names are not given in Chronicles.
Born in Hebron
- "Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess" (the firstborn)
- "Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess", also called Chileab (2 Sam. 3:3).
- "Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur"
- "Adonijah the son of Haggith"
- "Shephatiah of Abital"
- "Ithream by Eglah his wife"
Born in Jerusalem
"of Bath-shua (Bathsheba) the daughter of Ammiel:"
- Shimea
- Shobab
- Nathan
- Solomon
of other women:
- Ibhar
- Elishama
- Eliphelet
- Nogah
- Nepheg
- Japhia
- Elishama (again)
- Eliada
- Eliphelet (again)
David also had at least one daughter, Tamar, who was the full sister of Absalom.
David as a religious figure
David in Judaism
In Judaism, David's reign represents the formation of a coherent Jewish state with its political and religious capital in Jerusalem and the institution of a royal lineage that culminates in the Messianic Age. David's descent from a Moabite convert (Ruth) is taken as proof of the importance of converts within Judaism, as well as a counterbalance to the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which insists that Jews divorce foreign wives they may have married during the period of exile in Babylon. That he was not allowed to build a permanent temple is taken as proof of the imperative of peace in affairs of state.
David is also viewed as a tragic figure; his immoral acquisition of Bathsheba, and the loss of his son are viewed as central tragedies in Judaism.
David in Christianity
In Christianity, David is important as the ancestor of the Messiah. Several Old Testament prophecies state that the Messiah will come from David's line; the Gospels of Matthew and Luke trace Jesus' lineage to David to fulfill this requirement.
David is also figurative of Christ, the slaying of Goliath being compared to the way that Jesus defeated Satan when Jesus died on the cross. More often, David is figurative of a Christian believer. The Psalms that he wrote show a Christian how to depend upon God during times of adversity, how to praise, how to repent.
The Catholic Church celebrates him as Saint David on December 29.
David (Dawud) in Islam
In the Qur'an, David is known as Dawud (داود), and considered one of the prophets of Islam, to whom the Zabur (Psalms) were revealed by Allah. As in Judaism, he is said to have killed Goliath (Jalut) with a rock from his sling. In his reign, he is generally believed to have laid the foundations of the Dome of the Rock. See Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an. Muslims reject the Biblical portrayal of David as an adulterer and murderer. This is based on the Islamic belief in the infallibility and superiority of the moral character of prophets.
David in Unificationism
Unficationists follow the Christian and Jewish tradition concerning King David, that he was the paradigm of the Messiah, as well as the ancestor of Jesus. In The Divine Principle, David is a victorious central figure of the period of the United Kingdom. He succeeded where Saul failed in unifying Israel and Judah, and laid the foundation for the realization of the Ideal of the Temple established by Solomon. In a departure from the usual tradition, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, the founder of Unificationism, teaches that David's taking of Bathsheba from Uriah the Hittite, although wrong in its implementaion through and act of adultery and virtual murder, was providential in its intent. David stood in Adam's position, Bathsheba in Eve's and Uriah the Hittite in Lucifer's. By taking Bathsheba, David would be restoring "Eve" from Lucifer's dominion. This, however, does not excuse David's behavior, or Bathsheba's, in this case. A possible model for the proper method of restoration might be the case of David's earlier marriage to Abigail, the widow of Nabal, who prevailed on David not to slay her husband and did not sleep with him until after her husband's death by "natural" causes at the hand of God.
Historicity of David
See The Bible and history for a more complete description of the general issues surrounding the Bible as a historical source.
Biblical minimalists hold that David and his united kingdom never existed, and that the stories told about his life were made up much later by Jewish nationalists. Others feel that he was a historical figure and that the Biblical account on his person is generally accurate. An intermediate position, taken by a large proportion of scholars, consider him a real historical figure but, as with King Arthur, consider most of the traditions relating to him to have more myth than substance.
Archaeologist William G. Dever, in his book, What Did the Biblical Authors Know and When Did They Know It?, comes to the conclusion that David and his united monarchy did indeed exist, but that he did not rule "from the Euphrates to the River of Egypt" as the Bible claims, and more probably ruled approximately from Tel Dan in northern Israel to the area south of Beer-Sheba in Judah.
The details of David's life given in this article come from the Hebrew Bible and are not corroborated by, or even mentioned in, other historical documents. However, an ancient inscription called the Tel Dan Stele is controversially considered to refer to a king of the "House of David", providing indirect evidence that someone called David did exist as a historical king (although a minority interpret the vowel-less text as saying the "House of Duad", the "House of Thoth", or various other readings). It has recently been claimed that this inscription is a modern forgery, but this claim is rejected by the majority of researchers.
There have been many attempts at considering David as a quasi-historical figure, a composite mostly taken from the details of someone or something else, whether being a deliberate satire or commentary, or simply an attempt at accurate portrayal which became corrupted (in the sense that it appears now that he is someone distinct from who/what he was intended to portray).
In 2005, an Israeli archaeologist working in East Jerusalem uncovered a large public building dating back to the period of David's reign, which may allow the issue to be addressed more definitively.
Representation in art and literature
Art
Famous sculptures of David include (in chronological order) those by:
- Donatello (ca. 1430 - 1440) (see Donatello's David)
- Andrea del Verrocchio (1476)
- Michelangelo Buonarroti (1504) (see Michelangelo's David)
- Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1624) (see Bernini's David
- Antonin Mercié (1873)
Literature
Elmer Davis's 1928 novel Giant Killer retells and embellishes the Biblical story of David, casting David as primarily a poet who managed always to find others to do the "dirty work" of heroism and kingship. In the novel, Elhanan in fact killed Goliath but David claimed the credit; and Joab, David's cousin and general, took it upon himself to make many of the difficult decisions of war and statecraft when David vacillated or wrote poetry instead.
In Thomas Burnett Swann's Biblical fantasy novel How are the Mighty Fallen (1974) David and Jonathan are explicitly stated to be lovers. Moreover, Jonathan is a member of a winged semi-human race (possibly nephilim), one of several such races co-existing with humanity but often persecuted by it.
Joseph Heller, the author of Catch-22, also wrote a novel based on David, God Knows. Told from the perspective of an ageing David, the humanity — rather than the heroism — of various biblical characters are emphasised. The portrayal of David as a man of flaws such as greed, lust, selfishness, and his alienation from God, the falling apart of his family is a distinctly 20th century interpretation of the events told in the Bible.
Film
Gregory Peck played King David in the 1951 film David and Bathsheba, directed by Henry King. Susan Hayward played Bathsheba and Raymond Massey played the prophet Nathan.
Richard Gere portrayed King David in the 1985 film King David directed by Bruce Beresford.
See also
- Tel Dan Stele
- Hebrew Bible
- Aviad- Minister (prince) of peace of David.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Kirsch, Jonathan (2000) "King David: the real life of the man who ruled Israel". Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-43275-4.
- See also the entry for David in Easton's Bible Dictionary.
External links
- Complete Bible Genealogy David's family tree
| Preceded by: Ish-bosheth |
Kingdom of Israel | Succeeded by: Solomon |
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