King David

## Biographical information

### Marital status

Married with Mikal, Achinoam, Abigail, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah and Bathsheba

## Physical description

### Eye color

Dark Brown

**David ben Yshay** was the second king of Israel, Saul's successor and Solomon's predecessor.

## Biography

### Birth

Historically, it is very likely that King David was born in 1040 BC in Bethlehem, Palestine.

### Entering in Saul's court

David was claimed as king of Israel by the prophet Samuel after King Saul refused to exterminate the Amalekites and all that belonged to them by God's order. Thus, David was sent to the court of King Saul who was possessed by an evil spirit and needed someone to relieve his pain. In fact, David, with the sound of his lyre, was able to drive out this evil spirit. In this way, Saul began to become attached to David.

### Fighting Goliath

In the meantime, the Jews were fighting the Philistines. And among the Philistine armies, there was a soldier named Goliath, who is described to be 6 cubits and 1 palm (2.78 cm / 9'15 '' feet) tall. Meanwhile, David was asked by his father to go to the brothers who were in the camp to bring food and inquire about their condition. While in the camp, David listened to one of Goliath's challenges and offered to face it, telling that he had been able to kill bears and lions to defend his flock. He headed for the battlefield with his sling and five smooth stones that he had picked up from a stream. Goliath, seeing that it was a boy, mocked him. But David, caught, threw it with his sling, hit the giant in the forehead with one of the stones he had and killed him. David rushed to him and beheaded him, using the sword of Goliath himself. The Philistines fled in panic, but were pursued and exterminated by the Israelites. The victory made David famous among the Jews and earned him the friendship of Jonathan, son of King Saul.

### Escaping from Saul

Saul became more and more annoyed with David for his growing fame, so, to see him dead, he told him to kill 100 Philistines. David accepted the challenge and fulfilled his mission. Tired of him, Saul finally decided to execute him. However, Mikal, daughter of Saul, helped David escape. While on the run, David married Abigail and Achinoam. After that, David reigned over Judea.

### Relationship with Mikal

Later, David asked Is-Bal, son of Saul and brother of Mikal, to reunite with Mikal as a sign of alliance. Is-Bal accepted. Sometime after she returned, Mikal died having no children with David.

### Becoming king of Israel

David was anointed as king of Judea on Mount Ebron after Saul and Jonathan died in a battle with the Philistines. Later, David waged a civil war against Is-Bal who died at the hands of 2 deserters: Baanah and Rekab. With the end of Saul's dynasty, all the elders of Israel went to Hebron and David was anointed king of Israel and Judea. He defeated the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem and made it the capital of his kingdom. Meanwhile, King Hiram of Tire sent messengers, cedar trees, carpenters and masons to build the house of David. David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem with the intent of building a temple. But God, through the mouth of the prophet Nathan, forbade him to do so, saying that the temple would be built for future generations. But he made a covenant with David, promising him that he would establish the house of David forever.

### David, Bathsheba and Uriah the Hittite

One evening, while walking on the terrace, David saw a beautiful woman bathing, Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of his officer Uriah the Hittite. He had her taken to his palace and got her pregnant. Meanwhile, David's army, led by Joab and whose ranks also included Uriah the Hittite, was engaged in the siege of the Amonite city of Rabbah. David called Uriah the Hittite back to Jerusalem, asking him for information on the progress of the war and then ordered him to go home: even if not explicitly stated in the biblical texts, the intent was to make Uriah spend the night with his wife so he could be able to hide the paternity of the child to be born. But Uriah disobeyed and slept outside the king's door because he didn't think it right to enjoy the comforts of home while the other soldiers were busy at the front. David then made him eat and drunk, always with the same hope, but not even the next night Uriah went to his house. The next day, David wrote a letter in which he asked Joab that Uriah be put on the front line and left alone to meet certain death: he then gave the letter to Uriah himself for delivery to Joab. In fact, Uria the Hittite was killed by the Ammonites e Bathsheba became wife of David. The prophet Nathan rebuked him, telling him that God would punish him with his own guilt, taking all his wives to give them to others in broad daylight. David repented and then Nathan told him that this would never happen again, but that the child would die. The child was born, but fell ill immediately. For seven days David fasted, hoping in vain for his salvation. But on the seventh day the child died. Then, David anointed himself, changed and ate. David and Bathsheba had a second son, Solomon, the future king of Israel.

### Death of Absalom

Absalom was the third son of David, born in Hebron of Maaca, daughter of Talmai king of Gesur. David's eldest son, Amnon, born of Achinoam, had used violence against Tamar, sister of Absalom. Absalom, after two years spent hatching vengeance, had Amnon killed by the servants during a banquet. He then fled from his maternal grandfather, Talmai, to Gesur, where he remained three years before reconciling with David and returning to Jerusalem. Four years later, Absalom asked his father for permission to go to Hebron, but once he got there he proclaimed himself king. David fled from Jerusalem with his people, the Cretei, the Peletei and the Ittai, who had six hundred men following him from Gath, taking refuge beyond the Jordan River. Absalom entered Jerusalem with Achitophel, who had previously been David's counselor, at his side. Achitofel advised Absalom to hunt David down immediately, taking advantage of the fact that he was still in disarray. But Cusa the Archite, sent by David to Jerusalem to infiltrate the court of Absalom, succeeded in overturning Achitophel's advice, convincing Absalom that it was better to organize a large army that Absalom himself would lead to face David. Thanks to Cusài, David had time to regroup: advised against taking part directly in the battle, he recommended treating Absalom with respect. A fierce battle broke out in the forest of Ephraim in which Absalom's army was exterminated. The latter, riding a mule, remained suspended in the air, with his head entangled in the branches of a terebinth. Joab, one of the three chiefs David appointed for the battle, drove three spears into the heart of Absalom, who was then finished off by ten squires. When David learned of Absalom's death, he felt great pain. David was reconfirmed king and returned to Jerusalem.

### Census of the Israelites

The episode of the census of the Israelites ordered by him dates back to the last period of David's life. This census was ordered by God or, according to another tradition, was induced by Satan and will then provoke the anger of the Lord, who will propose to David to choose a punishment between seven years of famine, three months of escape from the enemy or three days of plague. The latter will be David's choice and seventy thousand people will die for it. The consequence of this census will be the purchase by David, as a request for forgiveness from the Lord, of the area on which his son Solomon will build the Temple of Jerusalem.

### Last days

Before David died, he talked to his son Solomon. He promised them that their lineage would forever inherit the throne of Israel. He asked him to kill his old enemies, Joab, leader of his own army, guilty of killing Abner and Amasa, and Simei, who cursed him but to whom he had made a promise not to kill him, personally, with his own sword. He advised him to be good to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, who had helped him as he fled from Absalom.

### Death

David died around the 970 BC and was buried in Jerusalem, having reigned over Israel for forty years, succeeded by Solomon. His tomb is still located outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, in the place commonly called Mount Zion, near the Jaffa Gate.

## Description

In Christian iconography, David is depicted as a white male in his 30s with full beard and long hair ranging from dark brown to blonde with a skinny body and medium stature. He is described wearing royal robes, a golden crown on his head and carrying a harp.

## Personality

Davide has a complex character: he is capable of great cruelty and at the same time generosity and kindness, endowed with ruthlessness and at the same time recognition of his limits and errors, very faithful to God and at the same time he also lets himself sin. He has also shown himself to be a fearless and valiant warrior.

## In the Mandela Catalogue

King David is referenced in the series through the character of Thatcher Davis. In fact, both of them fight a massive opponent (King David fights and kills Goliath while Thatcher Davis fights the Unnamed Alternate).

## Trivia

* David descended from Shem, one of Noah's sons.
* David was also a prophet.
* David was originally dark-skinned, but according to one tradition he prayed to God to make him white.
* Adam lived 930 years instead of 1000, because he gave 70 years of his life to David. In fact, David should have died 3 hours after he was born, but 70 years were granted to him by Adam himself.
* Joseph, adoptive father of Jesus, is a descendant of David.
* The 29th of December is the day where David is celebrated.