King David 16 x 20 inches, Acrylic on cradled panel, 2020
King David (1040 - 970 BC ?) David is one of the most important and most vividly portrayed figure in the Old Testament of the Bible, which presents him as the perfect monarch, heroic and pious, despite his character flaws and crimes.
According to the Bible, David was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd from the tribe of Judah who lived in Bethlehem, a small village 5 miles south of Jerusalem. Jesse was the grandson of Ruth, a Moabite woman whose story is told in a book of the Bible. David grew up as a shepherd and became known for his skill as a player of the lyre (kinnor).
At this time, the late 11th Century BC, Saul ruled as the first king of a united Judah and Israel. Samuel, a military leader as well as a prophet, had formerly led Israel during the time when they were occupied by the Philistines, a Canaanite tribe that dwelled along the shores of the Mediterranean. At the behest of the people, Samuel installed Saul as king. Saul, though, presumably aroused the displeasure of Jehovah, the Hebrew god, by failing to totally liquidate the Amalekites, long Israel’s arch-enemy. Samuel, therefore, repudiated him. He went to Bethlehem where he anointed a ten-year old shepherd boy, David, as king. David, though, merely continued as a shepherd, until Saul summoned him to court to perform for him as a musician.
When war broke out again between Israel and the Philistines, it was agreed that it should be settled by single combat. The Philistines chose as their champion the giant warrior Goliath, whom no one among the Israelites dared challenge. Although only 15 years old, David volunteered to fight Goliath. He knocked Goliath out by hitting him with a stone hurled by a sling and then killed him with his own sword. David became a hero. King Saul eventually placed him in command of his army and allowed him marry one of his daughters. David also made friends with Jonathan, Saul’s eldest son and successor.
Jealous of David’s popularity, Saul conspired to kill him. Jonathan tipped off David as to his father’s plans.
David went into hiding and sought refuge first with the priest Ahimelech, who fed him with showbread from the temple and presented him with Goliath’s sword. (For this, Ahimelech was executed by Saul, but his son Abiamar would later become high priest). David failed in his attempts to find sanctuary with the kings of Philistine and Moab. In the hometown of Goliath he could only save his life by pretending to be insane. David eventually he made up with Saul, who conceded that David would one day be king.
But Saul continued to persecute David so that he went to Philistine to serve its king. As a military commander, he fought against not Philistia’s enemies, but against tribes of nomads who were harassing the people of Judah. To curry their favor, turned over the spoils of war to the people of Judah. When war resumed between Israel and the Philistines, David, of questionable loyalties, did not participate. In battle both King Saul and Jonathan were killed.
David left Philistia and was made king of the southern land of Judah. He moved to its capital in Hebron and set up court there. The northern land of Israel was then ruled by Saul’s only surviving son, Ishbaal (or Ish-Boshet), supported by Abner, Saul’s cousin and the former commander of his armies. The two nations would engage in warfare until a falling out between Abner and Ishbaal. Abner made peace with David, but Joab, David’s nephew and captain of his army, treacherously killed Abner in revenge for Abner’s slaying of his brother. Ishbaal was then assassinated. This left the field open for David to assume the throne of Israel and restore the United Monarchy. David was 30 years old.
King David captured the Canaanite town of Jerusalem and made it his capital. He brought there what is usually known as the Ark of the Covenant, a gold sheathed wooden chest that contained various objects sacred to the Israelite people, including stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, a pot of manna, and the rod of Aaron. It was housed in a tabernacle, a tented sanctuary. David desired to build a temple for Jehovah, but he was dissuaded from doing so by Nathan, the court prophet. It would be left for his successor, Solomon, to build the First Temple of Jehovah.
David made war with most of his neighbors, the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, Arameans, Amalekites, and Ammonites. Victorious, he exacted tribute from them and established what would be a modest empire. He solidified his power with numerous marriages with daughters of foreign leaders.
When he was in his 50s, David conducted an adulterous affair with Bathsheba, the beautiful wife of Uriah, one of his captains, after he saw her bathing on her rooftop. When a child was expected, David tried to persuade Uriah, a military commander, to make a conjugal visit to his wife so that he, the husband, might be credited as the father. This failed and so King David arranged for Uriah, a zealous soldier, to be killed in battle. This incident and other court intrigues earned the rebuke of Nathan and turned the people against David.
Absalom, David’s favorite son, had good looks and charm and despite a lavish lifestyle, was very popular with the people. He loved his sister Tamar and was outraged when their half-brother Amnon raped her. He nursed his desire for revenge for two years. Then, at a feast arranged by him for his brothers, he had a drunken Amnon killed. Afterwards he waas forced to flee from Jerusalem, and it was three years before he was restored to his father’s good graces. Solomon, Bathsheba’s son, was then seen as David’s successor.
Absalom remained dissatisfied with his father’s rule and made it known to all he would be a far superior judge and king. He gathered enough support for his claim to the throne to mount a revolt. He occupied the former capital of Hebron and showed his contempt for the king by having sex with his father’s concubines. Next, he entered Jerusalem and, with the connivance of David’s advisors, assumed the throne. King David fled across the River Jordan with what loyal forces remained. Absalom was swayed by his father’s spies to delay attacking David and when he did, he was soundly defeated by David’s forces. Against David’s orders, Joab killed Absalom.
David mourned greatly for his disloyal son, but was restored as king. Later, when in his dotage, he would be challenged by another of his sons, Adonijah. With support from Joab and Abiathar, the high priest, Adonijah was able to usurp the throne. The prophet Nathan and David’s wife Bathsheba got David to agree to crown Solomon as co-regent. The move gained wide support and put an end to the revolt. Adonijah backed away from his claim and acknowledged Solomon as heir to the throne.
Upon the death of Kind David at the age of 70 in 970 BC, the 20-year old Solomon would succeed him. Solomon would be known for his wisdom, his wealth, his harem, his authorship of several books of the Bible, included Song of Songs and Proverbs, and, later, his skill at magic. He would rule the United Kingdom until his passing in 931 BC. His son and successor, Rehoboam, could not prevent his domain from breaking up into two kingdoms, Israel in the north, and Judah in the south. David’s descendants would continue to rule in Judah.
David was known from his adolescence as a musician. He is reputed to be the author of about half of the poems (song lyrics) included in the Book of Psalms. It cannot, however, be confirmed that he wrote the psalms himself, or if they were written for him, or if he merely compiled them, or if they were just attributed to him after his death. Many of the psalms, though, refer to events in David’s life.
The Bible gives some description of David’s appearance. He was handsome, possessed beautiful eyes, was not very tall, and had red hair. (David is referred as being admoniy, “red”, but it is unclear whether this refers to his complexion or to the color of his hair. It seems much more probable that red hair would be noted as an identifying feature rather than a ruddy complexion, not likely to be much noticed with the beard he must have worn. Many disagree, asserting the impossibility of a Hebrew from the Middle East being a redhead. Red hair, though, can be found among all races, not just among those of Celtic and Nordic derivation. Genghis Khan bragged about having red hair. Alexander the Great had hair the color of a lion’s mane and Cleopatra may have been a ginger as well. Pharaoh Ramses the Great of Egypt definitely had red hair: this has been determined by recent examination of his mummy. Among modern Jews, red hair is not all that uncommon).
Historical evidence of David’s existence, is scant, if not non-existent, and the sole source of information about his life and reign are books of the Bible, particularly Samuel I and II, Kings I, and Chronicles I. Consequently, most historians dispute his existence or relegate him to the status of a legendary, even mythical figure. He may have been but a nomadic chieftain or, if a king, on a far less grand scale than portrayed. This is confirmed by archaeology that tells us Judah was sparsely populated in David’s time and could hardly have been a co-equal kingdom with the more developed northern country. Notwithstanding its later glory, Jerusalem, in the 10th Century BC, was probably just a small town and unfit to be the capital of a kingdom.
David, however, is a central figure and a revered ideal in Judaism, a major prophet in Islam, and an ancestor of Jesus, the author of Christianity. One of the most famous figures of antiquity, he has been the subject of many works of art and literature, including the famous statue of David by Michelangelo. There have also been many popular movies and television shows about David, eg. the 1951 film David and Bathsheba, starring Gregory Peck, as well as portrayals by actors such as Jeff Chandler, Richard Gere, Keith Michell, and Max von Sydow, among others.
According to the Bible, David was the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd from the tribe of Judah who lived in Bethlehem, a small village 5 miles south of Jerusalem. Jesse was the grandson of Ruth, a Moabite woman whose story is told in a book of the Bible. David grew up as a shepherd and became known for his skill as a player of the lyre (kinnor).
At this time, the late 11th Century BC, Saul ruled as the first king of a united Judah and Israel. Samuel, a military leader as well as a prophet, had formerly led Israel during the time when they were occupied by the Philistines, a Canaanite tribe that dwelled along the shores of the Mediterranean. At the behest of the people, Samuel installed Saul as king. Saul, though, presumably aroused the displeasure of Jehovah, the Hebrew god, by failing to totally liquidate the Amalekites, long Israel’s arch-enemy. Samuel, therefore, repudiated him. He went to Bethlehem where he anointed a ten-year old shepherd boy, David, as king. David, though, merely continued as a shepherd, until Saul summoned him to court to perform for him as a musician.
When war broke out again between Israel and the Philistines, it was agreed that it should be settled by single combat. The Philistines chose as their champion the giant warrior Goliath, whom no one among the Israelites dared challenge. Although only 15 years old, David volunteered to fight Goliath. He knocked Goliath out by hitting him with a stone hurled by a sling and then killed him with his own sword. David became a hero. King Saul eventually placed him in command of his army and allowed him marry one of his daughters. David also made friends with Jonathan, Saul’s eldest son and successor.
Jealous of David’s popularity, Saul conspired to kill him. Jonathan tipped off David as to his father’s plans.
David went into hiding and sought refuge first with the priest Ahimelech, who fed him with showbread from the temple and presented him with Goliath’s sword. (For this, Ahimelech was executed by Saul, but his son Abiamar would later become high priest). David failed in his attempts to find sanctuary with the kings of Philistine and Moab. In the hometown of Goliath he could only save his life by pretending to be insane. David eventually he made up with Saul, who conceded that David would one day be king.
But Saul continued to persecute David so that he went to Philistine to serve its king. As a military commander, he fought against not Philistia’s enemies, but against tribes of nomads who were harassing the people of Judah. To curry their favor, turned over the spoils of war to the people of Judah. When war resumed between Israel and the Philistines, David, of questionable loyalties, did not participate. In battle both King Saul and Jonathan were killed.
David left Philistia and was made king of the southern land of Judah. He moved to its capital in Hebron and set up court there. The northern land of Israel was then ruled by Saul’s only surviving son, Ishbaal (or Ish-Boshet), supported by Abner, Saul’s cousin and the former commander of his armies. The two nations would engage in warfare until a falling out between Abner and Ishbaal. Abner made peace with David, but Joab, David’s nephew and captain of his army, treacherously killed Abner in revenge for Abner’s slaying of his brother. Ishbaal was then assassinated. This left the field open for David to assume the throne of Israel and restore the United Monarchy. David was 30 years old.
King David captured the Canaanite town of Jerusalem and made it his capital. He brought there what is usually known as the Ark of the Covenant, a gold sheathed wooden chest that contained various objects sacred to the Israelite people, including stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, a pot of manna, and the rod of Aaron. It was housed in a tabernacle, a tented sanctuary. David desired to build a temple for Jehovah, but he was dissuaded from doing so by Nathan, the court prophet. It would be left for his successor, Solomon, to build the First Temple of Jehovah.
David made war with most of his neighbors, the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, Arameans, Amalekites, and Ammonites. Victorious, he exacted tribute from them and established what would be a modest empire. He solidified his power with numerous marriages with daughters of foreign leaders.
When he was in his 50s, David conducted an adulterous affair with Bathsheba, the beautiful wife of Uriah, one of his captains, after he saw her bathing on her rooftop. When a child was expected, David tried to persuade Uriah, a military commander, to make a conjugal visit to his wife so that he, the husband, might be credited as the father. This failed and so King David arranged for Uriah, a zealous soldier, to be killed in battle. This incident and other court intrigues earned the rebuke of Nathan and turned the people against David.
Absalom, David’s favorite son, had good looks and charm and despite a lavish lifestyle, was very popular with the people. He loved his sister Tamar and was outraged when their half-brother Amnon raped her. He nursed his desire for revenge for two years. Then, at a feast arranged by him for his brothers, he had a drunken Amnon killed. Afterwards he waas forced to flee from Jerusalem, and it was three years before he was restored to his father’s good graces. Solomon, Bathsheba’s son, was then seen as David’s successor.
Absalom remained dissatisfied with his father’s rule and made it known to all he would be a far superior judge and king. He gathered enough support for his claim to the throne to mount a revolt. He occupied the former capital of Hebron and showed his contempt for the king by having sex with his father’s concubines. Next, he entered Jerusalem and, with the connivance of David’s advisors, assumed the throne. King David fled across the River Jordan with what loyal forces remained. Absalom was swayed by his father’s spies to delay attacking David and when he did, he was soundly defeated by David’s forces. Against David’s orders, Joab killed Absalom.
David mourned greatly for his disloyal son, but was restored as king. Later, when in his dotage, he would be challenged by another of his sons, Adonijah. With support from Joab and Abiathar, the high priest, Adonijah was able to usurp the throne. The prophet Nathan and David’s wife Bathsheba got David to agree to crown Solomon as co-regent. The move gained wide support and put an end to the revolt. Adonijah backed away from his claim and acknowledged Solomon as heir to the throne.
Upon the death of Kind David at the age of 70 in 970 BC, the 20-year old Solomon would succeed him. Solomon would be known for his wisdom, his wealth, his harem, his authorship of several books of the Bible, included Song of Songs and Proverbs, and, later, his skill at magic. He would rule the United Kingdom until his passing in 931 BC. His son and successor, Rehoboam, could not prevent his domain from breaking up into two kingdoms, Israel in the north, and Judah in the south. David’s descendants would continue to rule in Judah.
David was known from his adolescence as a musician. He is reputed to be the author of about half of the poems (song lyrics) included in the Book of Psalms. It cannot, however, be confirmed that he wrote the psalms himself, or if they were written for him, or if he merely compiled them, or if they were just attributed to him after his death. Many of the psalms, though, refer to events in David’s life.
The Bible gives some description of David’s appearance. He was handsome, possessed beautiful eyes, was not very tall, and had red hair. (David is referred as being admoniy, “red”, but it is unclear whether this refers to his complexion or to the color of his hair. It seems much more probable that red hair would be noted as an identifying feature rather than a ruddy complexion, not likely to be much noticed with the beard he must have worn. Many disagree, asserting the impossibility of a Hebrew from the Middle East being a redhead. Red hair, though, can be found among all races, not just among those of Celtic and Nordic derivation. Genghis Khan bragged about having red hair. Alexander the Great had hair the color of a lion’s mane and Cleopatra may have been a ginger as well. Pharaoh Ramses the Great of Egypt definitely had red hair: this has been determined by recent examination of his mummy. Among modern Jews, red hair is not all that uncommon).
Historical evidence of David’s existence, is scant, if not non-existent, and the sole source of information about his life and reign are books of the Bible, particularly Samuel I and II, Kings I, and Chronicles I. Consequently, most historians dispute his existence or relegate him to the status of a legendary, even mythical figure. He may have been but a nomadic chieftain or, if a king, on a far less grand scale than portrayed. This is confirmed by archaeology that tells us Judah was sparsely populated in David’s time and could hardly have been a co-equal kingdom with the more developed northern country. Notwithstanding its later glory, Jerusalem, in the 10th Century BC, was probably just a small town and unfit to be the capital of a kingdom.
David, however, is a central figure and a revered ideal in Judaism, a major prophet in Islam, and an ancestor of Jesus, the author of Christianity. One of the most famous figures of antiquity, he has been the subject of many works of art and literature, including the famous statue of David by Michelangelo. There have also been many popular movies and television shows about David, eg. the 1951 film David and Bathsheba, starring Gregory Peck, as well as portrayals by actors such as Jeff Chandler, Richard Gere, Keith Michell, and Max von Sydow, among others.
