Wise son of david. King david, psalmist

And as a result, he is a major figure for the Christian doctrine of the Messiah.

David, the son of Jesse, a wealthy man from the tribe of Judah, was born in Bethlehem. In his early youth, he was already distinguished by courage in the campaigns of the king Saul... He killed a Philistine hero in single combat Goliath, for which Saul made him the chief of his bodyguards and took him to his table. He gave David his daughter Michal to wife, and his son Jonathan became David's closest friend. But since Saul suspected David that he, along with Samuel and a group of priests, dissatisfied with the newly established royal power, conspired against him, then David was forced to flee from his anger.

David with the head of the slain Goliath. Artist O. Gentileschi, c. 1610

David tried to induce an uprising of one of the 12 Israelite tribes - the tribe of Judah, but the uprising was suppressed, and David found refuge with the ancestral enemies of his people, philistines... With their help, he raised the banner of rebellion against Saul and entered the Philistine service. When Saul and his son Jonathan, a friend of David, fell in battle with the Philistines, David returned to his homeland and was proclaimed king in Hebron, first only over the tribe of Judah, and then over everyone else.

According to the custom of all Eastern despots, David began his reign by exterminating the entire male generation of Saul; but his brilliant reign made him forget all his cruel deeds. He conquered the city of the Jebusite people, on the site of which he founded a strong fortress of Zion. During the first 13 years, David fought happy wars with the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, Ammonites, Syrians and other enemies of his people, so that his kingdom spread from the northern corner of the Red Sea and the border of Egypt to Damascus. He dedicated his spoils of battle to Jehovah and gave him praise and gratitude for saving him from so many dangers and for the victories he received in inspired hymns.

David developed a solid organization for his state. Jebusite city named by him Jerusalem, he chose his capital. He built himself a palace there, fortified the city and enlarged it by resettling the inhabitants of neighboring tribes there. Then he moved to Jerusalem Ark of the Covenant and made it the focus of a national cult, the protection and administration of which he entrusted to the corporation of priests established by him and devoted to him. From the tribute paid to him by the conquered peoples, and from the proceeds from the royal property, David formed a significant treasury and established a detachment of sovereign bodyguards, which consisted mostly of foreigners. Of all the men capable of carrying weapons, he organized an army, which he divided into 12 detachments of 24,000 people each. in everyone. The princes and judges of each tribe were appointed by him.

King David. Popular science film

But David's reign was nevertheless distinguished by despotic arbitrariness, and he strongly obeyed the influence of his countless wives. As a result, many disaffected appeared, headed by his son Absalom, planning to overthrow his father from the throne. David had to flee to the left bank of the Jordan and, with arms in hand, regain his own kingdom. Shortly before the death of David, a new uprising took place due to the fact that he appointed Solomon, the son of his beloved wife Bathsheba, whom he had previously taken away from the commander of Uriah, as heir, not the eldest of the surviving sons (Adonijah). Adonijah's attempt to defend his rights failed.

David died around 965 BC. His reign, according to one of the most probable chronologies, dates back to 1005-965. David's services to the people of Israel were great. The priests, who owed their importance and power to him, praised him for his deep and firm faith in one God and called him "a man after the heart of the Lord." But along with the undoubted qualities: courage, intelligence and discretion, he also showed many vices: he was selfish, cruel and vindictive. Even on his deathbed, he ordered Solomon to kill those people to whom he owed the throne or to whom he promised to spare them.

Included in Old Testament Psalms of david- a work of paramount importance for the study of both poetry and the religion of the Jews. The story of David's life is contained in the Books of Kings (I, ch. 16 et seq.; II, ch. 1-12) and Chronicles (I, ch. 11-17).

David and the events of his life are a favorite theme in the works of many artists. David, as a prototype of Christ - in the form of a shepherd with a flock - and as a psalmist, is often depicted in ancient Christian mosaics and in other works of painting (the best are Guido Reni, Domenichino). Other events in his life, especially the battle with Goliath, Samuel's anointing, the sin with Bathsheba, repentance, etc. also provided themes for the paintings of the most famous artists.

King David's wife, King Solomon's mother.

Bathsheba. You've probably heard this beautiful biblical name. It was worn by the wife of the legendary king David, who later became the mother of no less famous - the powerful and wise king Solomon.

« One evening, David, getting out of bed, was walking on the roof of the royal house and saw a woman bathing from the roof; and that woman was very beautiful. " David sent servants to find out who she was. It turned out that this was Bathsheba - the wife of Uriah the Hittite, a brave warrior who was at that time in the army of the royal commander Joab, who was besieging the Ammonites ...

Jean-Leon Gerome, Bathsheba and David, 99x61 cm, oil; 36x23 cm, pencil (Jean-Léon Gérôme, Bethsabée, 1889)

The Old Testament presents the entire dramatic story of her life and love:

The second book of Kings, chapter 11 (2 Kings 11: 1-27) // 2 Samuel 11: 1-27

The second book of Kings, chapter 12 (2 Kings 12: 1-31) // 2 Samuel 12: 1-31

Third Book of Kings, Chapter 1 (1 Kings 1: 1-53) // 1 Kings 1: 1-53

The third book of Kings, chapter 2 (1 Kings 2: 1-46) // 1 Kings 2: 1-46

First Chronicles, Chapter 3 (1 Chronicles 3: 5) // 1 Chronicles 3: 5

Anyone who tries to find out more about the name Bathsheba is amazed at the fact that other peoples write it and sound completely different from ours. Here's a look: the British Bathsheba, for the Germans Bathseba, for the Italians, Betsabea, for the Spaniards, Betsabé, and for the French, Bethsabée. Jews, residents of modern Israel write Bat Sheva (this is in Latin transcription, but in Russian it is Bat Sheva).

What's the matter here? I can't give a short answer, I had to write a whole article.

1) Βηρσαβεέ μητέρα Σαλωμών in Greek means "Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon"

Why is David's wife named Bathsheba in the Russian text of the Bible, and not Bathsheba or Betsabe, as throughout Europe? We will not get an answer to this question until we see how the name looked in the Septuaginte (Greek Bible), from which the Old and New Testaments were translated into Church Slavonic, and then Russian.It turned out that Βηρσαβεέ.Here is a small piece of biblical textin ancient Greek:… Βηρσαβε έ μητέρα Σαλωμώ ν ... / ... Bathsheba is the mother of Solomon ..., it is taken from the 3rd Book of Kings, chapter 1, verse 11 (1 Kings 1:11).

Do you know how Bible translators in ancient times read (pronounced) this name? - Of course, in accordance with the general rules for reading Greek texts, in force today: Β (beta or vita, read "b" or "c"); η (this, reads "e" or "and"); ρ (ro, read "p"); σ (sigma, read "s"); α (alpha, read "a"); β (beta or vita, read "b" or "c"); ε (epsilon, read "e"); έ (epsilon, read "e"). The stress in the name Βηρσαβε έ is placed on the last syllable (the dashes above the Greek letters indicate stress).

Consider two other considerations: 1) Usually when translating and pronouncing the initial Greek letter Β(beta or vita) in personal names, preference was given to Russian sound B: therefore, we had the names Barbara, Veronica, Bartholomew and Benjamin, and among the Catholics in Western Europe - Barbara, Berenice, Bartolomeo and Benjamin; 2) Many borrowed names received the Russian ending -ija: Eudoxia, Euphemia, Eusebius, etc.

So it turns out that the wife of the brave warrior Uriah, who later became the wife of King David and the mother of King Solomon, entered the Russian translation of the Bible under the name V and rs a and I.

// Roman historian Eusebius of Caesarea (263-340 years, Eusebius of Caesaria ), who wrote church history from its very beginning until 324, in his writings the wife of the warrior Uriah called Βηρσαβεέ (Eusebius of Caesaria: Gospel Problems and Solutions, Edited by Roger Pearse, p.page 58, lines 2 and 7, and also page 59, comment 38; in the link original text Eusebius of Caesarea, analyzing in detail the Psalm of David, twice mentions the name Βηρσαβεέ).And Saint Augustine (354-430 years, Saint Augustine of Hippo), one of the fathers of the Church (Orthodox and Catholic), in his works in Latin called the queen by the name of Bersabee ( Augustin: The Writings Against the Manichaeans and Against the Donatists by Philip Schaff , see pdf-file or on-line, p. 526, p. 87, lines 5 and 14) //.

2) And what about the French?

For many European peoples, David's wife, Solomon's mother, for several centuries was called almost the same as ours (but with Latin specifics): Bersabe, Bersabee, Bersabé e. Agree, these names have much more similarity with the Russian Bathsheba than the modern Western names Bathsheba or Betsabée.

Renowned American translator and literary editor Steve Dodson Dodson) in the article Virsaviya / Bersabee (26.02.2005) writes:“Once I was looking for something in the Russian-English dictionary, and accidentally came across the lineBathsheba f bib Bathsheba. There’s some mistake, I thought, because Virsaviya sounds so unlike Bathsheba. After that I got into the old Russian-French dictionaryDictionnaire Russe - Fran ç ais (by N. P. Makaroff, Saint - P é tersbourg), published back in 1908,and discovered that a hundred years ago in French the Russian biblical name Bathsheba corresponded to the name Bersab é e!

It also turned out that the word Bersabée in the old days in France was also called a place in Palestine, south-west of Jerusalem, in which the biblical Abraham spent a lot of time.Today it is a rather large city of Beer Sheva (Be "er Sheva or Beer-Sheva, Beersheba) in the Negev desert on the territory of modern Israel, its Arabic name is Bir es-Saba (Latin transcription Bir as-Sab). The name of the city is translated either as “The Well of Seven” or as “The Well of the Oath.” The forefather Abraham (and later Isaac) dug a well here with his own hands. the sign of the oath of allegiance - the seven sheep. According to the treaty, Abraham received permission to use the pastures and water his flocks on this land forever. The well has survived to this day, and a museum operates under it. "

So, in the distant past, the French used the word Bersabée as the name of a biblical character and for the name of a settlement. It was the same with the ancient Greeks: the name of the beloved woman of King David and the biblical city of Bathsheba they called with one word Βηρσαβεέ.

3) In good old England, the queen was called Bathsheba, not Bathsheba!

We can easily verify this if we take the text of the English Bible by John Wycliffe in 1395 ( ), which is a translation of the Vulgate (i.e., the Latin text of the Bible) into Old English.

Let us compare similar passages from the Bible of J. Wycliffe and the Russian Synodal Bible:

Genesis 21, 30-34 30 And he seide, Thou schalt take of myn hond seuene ewe lambren, that tho be in to witnessyng to me, for Y diggide this pit. 31 Therfor thilke place was clepid Bersabee, for euere eithir swore there; 32 and thei maden boond of pees for the pit of an ooth. 33 Forsothe Abymelech roos, and Ficol, prince of his chyualrie, and thei turneden ayen in to the lond of Palestyns. Sotheli Abraham plauntide a wode in Bersabee, and inwardli clepide there the name of euerlastinge God; 34 and he was an erthetiliere ether a comelynge of the lond of Palestynes ​​in many dayes. Genesis, ch. 21, verses 30-34 30 [Abraham] said, Take these seven lambs out of my hand, that they may be a testimony to me that I have dug this well. 31 Therefore he called this place: Bathsheba because here they both swore 32 and made an alliance at Bathsheba. And Abimelech arose, and [Ahusaph, his guide, and] Phichol, his captain, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 and 34 And Abraham lived like a stranger in the land of the Philistines for many days.

And here is a fragment from the translation of the Greek Septuagint into English by Charles Thomson in 1808 (Charles Thomson Bible, 1808):

The difference in titles and numbering of the biblical books cited here in parallel texts is not a mistake. The spelling of English texts follows the grammar of the 14th and 19th centuries.

It should be noted that not only in the sacred texts, but also in the secular life of the British, the name Bathsheba was present. In 1866 the book Poems and Ballads was published by the very popular poet of the time Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909). Among many other works of the talented poet, a poem in the genre of a mystery play was included in that book "Mask of Queen Bathsheba"(A Miracle-Play-Poem "The Masque of Queen Bersabe"), .

We draw a well-grounded conclusion that until a certain time in the Christian world the name of King David's wife was almost universally considered the name of Bathsheba (Bersabe, Bersabee and similar variants), and we will try to figure out when and why the name Bathsheba replaced it (Bathsheba and other similar variants ).

And one more remark. In those old texts where the name of the queen was the name of Bathsheba (Bersabe, Bersabee and similar variants), the same name (Bersabe, Bersabee and similar variants) was used for the name of an ancient biblical city based on the place where the patriarch Abraham dug a well and took an oath to Abimelech, king of Gerar.

4) And now the nineteenth century has come!

In the middle of the 19th century, several serious scientific expeditions were made to Palestine, to the Holy Land. Based on their results, multivolume reports were written and published. Among them, the most famous is the three-volume edition of the American biblical scholar Edward Robinson (Biblical Researches in Palestine and Adjacent Countries, 1841), as well as books by John P. Durbin (Observations in the East, 1845) and Carl Ritter (Carl Ritter, The comparative geography of Palestine and the Sinaitic Peninsula, 1865).The biblical city of Bathsheba, this sacred place, was of particular interest to all travelers.

But the search for this city was not easy, although Palestine is small in size ("from Dan to Bathsheba"). The fact is that almost all settlements, deserts, mountains, rivers and valleys at that time bore Arabic names. This is not surprising, because then there were practically no Jews in Palestine, by the beginning of the 1800s more than 270 thousand Arabs and about 25 thousand Christians lived on its territory in the cities of Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem (with a total population of about 300 thousand).

Edward Robinson, who traveled to Palestine in 1838, was the first to prove that the settlement with the Arabic name Bir es-Seba in the Wady es-Seba valley is the very biblical Bathsheba. Wells were even found, dug by Abraham and Isaac.

Studying the local toponymy (names of geographical objects), the researchers turned to ancient Hebrew texts, and it turned out that the original name of this city is Beersheba. It also became obvious that the name of David's wife, Solomon's mother in European Bibles differs from the way it was written in Hebrew: Bathsheba.

In the late 19th - early 20th centuries, in almost all Bible texts, instead of a single word Bersabe (Bersabee, Bersabée) for the name of the city and for the name of the queen, two new ones appear - Beersheba for the name of the city and Bathsheba (Bath-Sheba) for the name of the queen. This coincides in time with the so-called First Aliyah (1882-1903).

The First Aliyah is the first large wave of Jewish immigration from Eastern Europe, including from the Russian Empire to Palestine (almost 25-35 thousand people) and to the United States (almost 2 million people).This large-scale resettlement was triggered by the pogroms and oppression of Jews that began in 1882. Among immigrant ev was about a lot and followed her religious movements Hibbat Zion (Love of Zion) and Bilu. Settling in Palestine in the territories occupied by the Arab population, the settlers tried to rethink not only the toponymy adopted there, but also its ancient history. And most European Christians (both Protestants and Catholics), willingly came about help them.

Heresmall excerpts from modern Bibles - English and French:

Genesis 21 (Genesis 21) 30 He said, You are to accept these seven ewe lambs from me as a witness for me that I dug this well. 31 Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there are both parties swore an oath. 32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba; then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. Genèse 21 (Genesis 21) 30 Il répondit: Tu accepteras de ma main ces sept brebis, afin que cela me serve de témoignage que j "ai creusé ce puits. 31 C "est pourquoi on appelle ce lieu Beer-Schéba; car c" est là qu "ils jurèrent l" un et l "autre. 32 Ils firent donc alliance à Beer-Schéba. Après quoi, Abimélec se leva, avec Picol, chef de son armée; et ils retournèrent au pays des Philistins. 33 Abraham planta des tamariscs à Beer-Schéba; et là il invoqua le nom de l "Eternel, Dieu de l" éternité.

1 Kings 2:13 (1 Kings 2:13) Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said,l"Do you come peacefully?" He said, "Peacefully." 1 Rois 2:13 (1 Samuel 2:13) Adonija, fils de Haggith, alla vers Bath-Schéba, mère de Salomon. Elle lui dit: Viens-tu dans des intentions paisibles? Il répondit: Oui.

5) What did the words Beersheb and Bathsheba mean among the ancient Jews?

For clarification, I had to turn to professional interpreters of the Tanakh (Hebrew Scripture), since the original texts of the Old Testament were written in Hebrew or Aramaic.

And what happened? In the Tanakh, that is, in the Hebrew Bible, for a place in the Negev desert and the beloved of King David is indeed different words are used. Their English transliteration is, respectively, Beer Sheba (Beersheba) and Bath-sheba (Bathsheba):

The name Bath-sheba (Bathsheba) in Hebrew means "daughter of an oath", this is the name of the beloved and wife of King David, mother of King Solomon, its phonetic spelling: bath-sheh "-bah;

Beer Sheba ( Beersheba) in Hebrew means "the well of the oath" or "the well of seven", that is, the place of taking the oath at the well, where the seven sheep were given, his f phonetic spelling: be-ayr "sheh" -bah.

// Detailed and accessible references to the Hebrew Bible are Bible Hub, BibleGateway, and Abarim Publications "(section Biblical Name Vault). We bring them to your attention. On the Bible Hub, the following articles are of greatest interest to us: 884. Beer Sheba, 1339. Bath -sheba, 1340. Bath-shua, Beersheba andBathsheba, and at Abarim Publications "- Beersheba, Bathsheba and Bath-shua. //

6) But the Russian and Greek Orthodox Churches did not begin to make changes to the text of the Bible.

Until now, both the name of the city and the name of the queen of Israel are expressed in one word - Bathsheba (with us),Βηρσαβεὲ (among the Greeks):

Life. 21: 30-33 [Abraham] said, Take these seven lambs out of my hand, that they may be a testimony to me that I have dug this well. That is why he called this place: Bathsheba, for here they both swore and made an alliance at Beersheba. And Abimelech arose, and [Ahusaph, his guide, and] Phichol, his captain, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. AND [Abraham] planted a grove at Bathsheba and there he called on the name of the Lord, the eternal God.

3 Kings 2:13 And there came Adonijah son of Haggith, to Bathsheba, mother of Solomon, [and bowed to her]. She said, Is your coming in peace? And he said: in peace. Γ Βασ. 2.13 (corresponds to 1 Kings 2:13) καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ἀδωνίας υἱὸς Ἀγγὶθ πρὸς Βηρσαβεὲ μητέρα Σαλωμὼν καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῇ. ἡ δὲ εἶπεν· εἰρήνη ἡ εἴσοδός σου; καὶ εἶπεν· εἰρήνη·

1 Sam. 8: 2 The name of his eldest son is Joel, and the name of his second son is Abijah; they were judges at Bathsheba. Α Βασ. 8.2 (corresponds to 1 Samuel 8: 2) καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ· πρωτότοκος Ἰωήλ, καὶ ὄνομα τοῦ δευτέρου Ἀβιά, δικασταὶ ἐν Βηρσαβεέ .

7) Bathsheba in world art culture

The biblical story of King David and Bathsheba inspired many artists, among them (the year of the painting is given in brackets): Hans Memling (1485, Hans Memling), Jean Bourdichon (1499, Jean Bourdichon), Raphael (1519, Raphael), Lucas Cranach the Elder (1526, Lucas Cranach Elder), Jan Massys (1562, Jan Massys), Cornelis Cornelissen (1594, Cornelis Corneliszoon), Hans von Aachen (1615, Hans von Aachen), Rubens (1635, Rubens), Guercino (1640, Guercino) , Rembrandt (1654, Rembrandt), Willem Drost (1654, Willem Drost), Jan Steen (1659, Jan Steen), Sebastiano Ricci (1724, Sebastiano Ricci), Karl Bryullov (1832), Gustave Moreau (1886, Gustave Moreau), Marc Chagall (1956, double portrait "David and Bathsheba"), etc. Any of the paintings can be easily found on the Internet, just type the author's surname, the year the picture was painted and the name of its main character, that is Bathsheba or Bathsheba.

There are much fewer sculptures. The most famous sculpture was the Female Figure - a female statue carved in 1571-73 by the sculptor Jean de Giambologna from a single piece of white Carrara marble, its height is 115 cm.And the French artist Jean-Leon Gerome, whose painting this article begins, in 1896 he created one of the best sculptural portraits of our heroine - Bethsabée / Bathsheba from gilt bronze, 83 cm high.

In 1951, the color film David and Batsheba was shot at 20th Century Fox in the United States, starring Gregory Peck and Susan Hyward.

The film received five Oscars:

• Best Art Direction
• Best Cinematography
• Best Costume Design
• Best Music - Alfred Newman, composer
• Best Writing

Dubbed into Russian, you can see: https://my.mail.ru/mail/eshua7/video/147/190.html

Stills from the film:

1985: Paramount Pictures directed King David opposite Richard Gere and Alice Krigestarring. Composer Carl Davis. The film did not win high awards and ratings, moreover, it received the Golden Raspberry Award (this is the Golden Raspberry Award, anti-Oscar). However, the acting was not bad at all.You can watch the film with Russian offscreen translation here: http://kinofilms.tv/film/car-david/7533/.

8) Biblical name Bathsheba as modern personal name

The name is rare, but used: by mid-summer 2016, Odnoklassniki had about 500 Virsavias, the same number on VKontakte. 10-15% of the total number are nicknames, but the rest are uniquely proper names. The largest number of Bathsheba is registered in Russia and Ukraine.

Sounds convincing, solemn: Virsavia Borisovna, Virsavia Yurievna, Virsavia Andreevna, Virsavia Vladimirovna, ...

Diminutive forms - mass: Veers a va, Virsa sha, Virsa nya, Virsyu sha, Ve rsa, Vi ya, Vi yka, Viyu sha, Viyu sha, Sava, Sviya, Savichka, Savechka, Savochka, Savinka, Savyuka, Sauvushka , Savu sha, Savu la, Sa vik, S vchik, Vira, Virya, Virka, Vi rka, Vivi, Syu sha, Sasha, Virsa vushka, Savyona, Savyonok, Virsenok ...

Regarding the god name for Bathsheba, then Vera fits well in consonance, and Vasilisa or Vassa ("tsarina", "royal") in terms of meaning.

The ancient Israelite people were divided into twelve tribes, which were named after their ancestors. The tribe, in which the future king and prophet David was born, bore the name of Judas. His father's name is Jesse, he held one of the high posts in the city of Bethlehem.

Adolescent years

David is the distant ancestor of His imaginary father Joseph (Righteous Joseph was betrothed to the Blessed Virgin Mary). Presumably, the future king was born around 1040 BC. This is the story of the life of the holy king David.

In addition to David, the family had seven more sons. He was the youngest of them all. In adolescence, he worked as a shepherd of sheep on the farm of his father. Already at that time, he began to feel in his body a heroic strength, and in his soul - the talent of a songwriter. His peace was disturbed by lions, bears and other wild animals that attempted to steal sheep. But the youth without weapons, with bare hands, chased the predator and took away the sheep, and if the beast showed aggression, the mighty youth could kill him without weapons.

In his free time, the youth made himself a string instrument and composed songs to its accompaniment. Subsequently, instruments of this type were called the Psalter (or Psalter), and the inspired songs that he composed throughout his life formed the basis of the Psalter, one of the main prayer books of Orthodox Christians.

King David (Gerrig van Honthorst, 1611)

How King Saul Angered God

Around 1029 BC Saul from the tribe of Benjamin, anointed by the prophet Samuel, became the head of the kingdom of Israel. But the ruler did not show due obedience to the Will of God.

At the beginning of the war with the Philistines, he voluntarily offered burnt offerings, without waiting for the arrival of Samuel. Later, he did not fulfill the will of God transmitted through the prophet - he did not completely destroy the defeated barbarian people of the Amalekites. From that moment on, Samuel announced to him that he had incurred the wrath of God. After that, the reign lasted only a few years.

Read about other Old Testament prophets:

In addition, he fell ill with a mental illness - he began to fall into severe depression with bouts of irritability and anger.

The new chosen one of God

At the command of the Lord, the prophet Samuel came to Bethlehem, waited for the arrival of David and anointed him with oil for the kingdom. From that day on the lad was the grace of God.

After a while, it became known about Saul's mental illness. His associates tried to find ways to alleviate his condition. Then they decided to invite a skilled musician and singer. The choice fell on David.

The youth, by his game, managed to temporarily alleviate the state of the master, and the young man was elevated to the rank of the royal squire.

Duel with Goliath

At that time, another war began with the Philistine people. The ruler came out against them at the head of the army. The Philistines offered to compete with forces and put up the monstrous giant Goliath. None of the Israeli warriors had the courage to come out against him. Goliath grew more arrogant and swore loudly at the Israelites. This went on for forty days.

Interesting. Goliath was almost three meters tall.

All the sons of Jesse were in the Israelite army, except David. His father sent him to bring food to the brothers. At this moment, he saw the insolently behaving Goliath and was inwardly indignant. The youth asked the king for permission to oppose the enemy giant. The ruler agreed. First, the young man was clothed in military armor, but he took it off, put on his usual shepherd's clothes and took a sling.

When David set out for a duel, the Lord put such accuracy and strength into his hands that Goliath was firmly struck with a stone thrown from a sling. The shocked Philistine warriors fled the battlefield.

Righteous David Psalmist

The beginning of the feud

The master was delighted by this news and made the psalmist the rank of a military leader. The army returned home with victory, on the way the women greeted them with songs that set David's military exploits higher than Saul's. The master did not like the content of the songs very much. From that time on, he began to conceal in his soul enmity against the psalmist. Attacks of his mental illness began to return.

The occupation of soothing Saul with music was very dangerous. During especially severe seizures, the king threw a spear at the young man twice, but God kept him alive. Then David was made commander over a thousand soldiers. It was a cunning move by the ruler, who sent the young man into danger to the war, hoping that he would die there.

Saul, in case of success in the war, promised to marry his daughter Merova to him, but did not keep his promise when the warrior returned with a victory.

The master offered another daughter - Michal - and sent the governor to the war again. He again returned with a victory, and the marriage took place. Saul was even more irritated by this. Meanwhile, Jonathan, one of the master's sons, was filled with friendly feelings for David.

After that, the master no longer hid his hatred. When the warrior once again returned from the war, the king again threw a spear at him, and then sent his soldiers to deal with him. He was surrounded in his house, but the Lord did not allow him to die, and his wife helped him to be saved.

Years of persecution

From that moment on, the open pursuit of the chosen one began. In Israeli cities, on pain of death, it was forbidden to accept it. Michal was passed off as someone else. God sent a message to the chosen one through the prophet Gad, and he took refuge in a mountainous area near Bethlehem. Other people, offended by the ruler, began to join him. Soon a small detachment of warriors gathered.

The king with his army continued to pursue him. It so happened that Saul entered the very cave in which David was hiding. The chosen one had the opportunity to kill his persecutor, but he only cut off the edge of his robe. When the master came out of the cave, David showed him a piece of cloth to prove that he did not take the opportunity to kill. The young man asked for reconciliation and assured that there was no evil in his plans. At first this made an impression on the persecutor, and he temporarily left the saint alone.

The peaceful mood did not last long. After a while, he again moved at the head of the army against the anointed one.

And again a similar incident happened - David managed to penetrate unnoticed into the tent where Saul was sleeping and take his spear. Then he went out and showed a spear from a distance. This nobility again impressed the persecutor, and he left.

Accession of David

But the anointed one did not have full confidence in the promises of his persecutor. He moved to the Philistine city of Zikelag. Just another war began between the Philistine and Israeli peoples. David was forced to fulfill his military duty and with his detachment go against his native people.

But, by the Providence of God, the Philistine commanders lost confidence in him and sent him back to Zikelag. By that time, the city had just been ravaged by the Amalekites. The commander caught up with them, punished them and returned the prisoners back.

Meanwhile, there were battles between Israel and the Philistines. Saul was defeated, surrounded by Philistine archers and seriously wounded. Not wanting to fall into the hands of a hated enemy and in despair, he committed suicide. He ordered the Amalekite to kill him with a sword.

Important. This is one of three cases of suicide that take place in the Bible (the other two are the suicides of Judas and the hero Samson).

Jonathan also died in that war. The Amalekite gladly went to David, hoping to receive a reward. But the reaction of the anointed one was exactly the opposite - he grieved about his offender and ordered the execution of the messenger.

Monument to King David in Jerusalem

New king

After the death of the persecutor, the anointed one became the ruler of one of the parts of the state of Israel. The rest of the territory was ruled by the son of the former master, Ishbosheth. This did not last long. Ishbosheth was betrayed and killed by his own bodyguards. They came to David expecting a reward. But he once again grieved about the death of his rival and ordered the execution of the traitors.

After that, the anointed one was made ruler over all Israel. One of the fortresses, which was named Jerusalem, became the capital of the new state. The Ark of the Covenant was moved here. The new king planned to build a Temple of God here, but through the prophet he received a notification that this business would be entrusted to his successor.

The period of a just reign has come.

The fall of the holy king

But if sorrows and persecutions turn out to be powerless to break the spirit of the righteous, then later luxury and pleasure can begin a struggle against him. The king was captivated by the beauty of a married woman and did not want to fight against sinful desire. It was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of the governors.

David committed two serious sins - adultery and murder. He took Bathsheba for himself, and sent Uriah to his death at a dangerous point on the battlefield, where he died. Perhaps, if this victory of the devil had not happened over the chosen one of God, the life of the ruler and his people could have taken a completely different path.

The Lord through the prophet Nathan exposed the sins of the king. And although he repented of what he had done, he subsequently suffered heavy punishment from God.

Important. In repentance, David composed the fiftieth psalm, which would later become one of the repentance prayers of Christians.

Read about other psalms of David:

Punishments for sin

Disasters began for the king and the people. First, there was a strife between the king's two sons from different wives - Amnon and Absalom. Absalom despicably killed Amnon and fled. But after a few years, his father forgave him. Absalom did not appreciate the generosity of his father and began to stir up revolts against him among the people.

David again, as in his youth, was forced to leave the capital. He was accompanied not only by his sympathizers, but also by his enemies - they reviled him.

Civil war broke out. A loyal part of the people united around the legitimate ruler. David was especially worried about how Absalom would not be killed in the battle, but contrary to his orders, one of the governors killed Absalom. The saint's grief knew no bounds.

The wrath of God was also poured out in the form of hunger and pestilences for the people. The ruler accepted everything with humility.

Peaceful end to David's reign

The last years of the reign of the holy king passed in prosperity and peace. The king prepared materials for the construction of the Temple for his heir. From Bathsheba, a new son, Solomon, was born, and it was him who was chosen by the Lord as the future king. Solomon was anointed as king during his father's lifetime. The reign of the holy king lasted forty years, and he died in peace and old age.

Interesting. According to one version, the tomb of King David is located on Mount Zion. On the same mountain is the place where the Last Supper was held.

Blessed is the husband

According to the words of the inspired Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, David had all earthly consolations - wealth, strength, glory, beauty, wives and children, but he did not recognize bliss in any of them. Human bliss was found by him in obedience to the Will of God and keeping himself from sins: "Blessed is the man, who does not go to the counsel of the wicked ..."

Important! They pray to this saint for the gift of repentance, for the protection of the Fatherland from enemies, for mercy from the rulers, for the Orthodox army, for help in carnal temptations.

Watch the video about King David

The Jewish prophets perceived him as the ancestor of the future Messiah. In King David is referred to as the ancestor of Jesus.

King David's family

King David's wives.

King David had many wives. Through marriage, David strengthened his relationships with various political and ethnic groups. It is highly likely that he had 8 wives:

• Michal, the second daughter of King Saul;
• Bathsheba, originally the wife of one of David's military leaders6
• Ahinoam;
• Abigail the Carmitean, formerly Naval's wife;
• Maakhi, daughter of Falmai, king of Gesshur;
• Aggif;
• Avital;
• Egle.

Children of King David.

Genealogy of King David

The reign of king David

God is angry when Saul, the king of Israel, does not do His will, and therefore he sends the prophet Samuel to anoint young David, the youngest son of Jesse from Bethlehem, to the kingdom. This is how the Lord showed His intention.

... He was blond, with beautiful eyes and a pleasant face. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. And Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed it among his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord rested on David from that day and after ...

After this incident, nothing changed in David's life, he also tended cattle and played the lyre to his flocks.

The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord revolted him. Saul's courtiers recommend that he find a talented musician to soothe Saul with his music. So David, who played the lyre beautifully, becomes a court musician and plays music in order to calm the king, who is occasionally disturbed by an evil spirit.

P.P. Rubens David and Goliath. 1616 year

Saul appoints David in command of the army. All Israel loves David, but Saul is afraid and hated by his popularity. He plans to kill David, but Saul's son Jonathan warns David of his father's treacherous plans and David escapes. First, he flees to Nomv, where he is assisted by the priest Ahimelech, then he flees to the Philistine city of Gath, intending to seek refuge with King Achus. After some time, David realizes that he is in danger again, and hides in the cave of Adollam with his family.

David planned to seek refuge with the king of Moab, but the prophet Gad gives him God's command to go to the forest of Heret, and then to Keilah, where David takes part in the further battle with the Philistines. Saul plans to conquer Keilah and capture David, so David leaves the city to protect its inhabitants. David takes refuge in the mountains and then in the Negev desert.

Locals tell Saul where David is hiding. Saul enters the cave where David and his men were hiding. David realizes that he has the ability to kill Saul, but he does not. Instead, he secretly cuts off a corner of Saul's robe, and when Saul left the cave, David bowed to Saul and showed off a piece of the cut robe, thereby letting Saul know that he had no Kingdom claims and was not going to fight Saul. Thus, the two were reconciled, and Saul recognized David as his successor. Theologian Donald Spence-Jones believes that "one of the most beautiful features of David's multifaceted nature is his devotion to Saul and the house of Saul."

David comes out of the cave to bow to Saul

David had the opportunity to kill King Saul and subsequently, but he also did not use it. This case is described in. David found Saul asleep, but did not listen to the advice of Abishai and did not strike the sleeping Saul with a spear and did not let Abisse do it.

After the death of Saul and his son, the elders of Israel came to Hebron to visit David, who was considered God's anointed one. Soon David conquers Jerusalem and makes it his capital. He brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, intending to build a temple here, but the prophet Nathan (Nathan) forbids him, prophesying that the Temple should be built one of the sons of David... Throughout his life, David prepared everything necessary for the construction of the Temple in order to simplify the task of his son.

Nathan also prophesies that God made a Covenant with the house of David:

your throne will stand forever

David regularly defeated the Philistines. The Moabites, Edomites, Amalekites, and Ammonites paid tribute to him. Almost all the wars that David waged were initially defensive in nature: David primarily defended his Kingdom. However, these wars ended with the creation of the empire of David, which stretched on both sides of the Jordan River, right up to the Mediterranean Sea.

David divided the country into twelve districts, each with its own civil, military, and religious institutions. He also established Jerusalem as the secular and religious center of the two Kingdoms. People from other districts began to make pilgrimages to Jerusalem every year for the holidays.

David and Bathsheba.

Mark Shagal. David and Bathsheba, 1956

David seduces Bathsheba, the wife of his commander, and wishes her husband dead. In response, Nathan prophesies the punishment that will fall on David.

... by this act you gave reason to the enemies of God to blaspheme Him, the son born to you will die ...

David's son Absalom rebelled against his father. David suppresses the rebellion, but orders the soldiers who pursued Absalom in the forest of Ephraim to save the life of his son. Absalom clings to trees with his long hair and falls victim to the three arrows of Joab. David mourns for a long time the death of his beloved son.

David's sinful relationship with Bathsheba is also believed to be the cause of many unfortunate events in the family of King David. For example, the rape of his daughter Thomas by his eldest son Amnon, as well as the murder of Amnon at the hands of his brother Absalom.

Old age and death of King David.

In old age, David was bedridden. He constantly felt cold and could not get warm in any way. He bequeathed his throne to Solomon, the son of Bathsheba. Adonijah, David's eldest son, declared himself king. However, in response to this, David publicly anointed Solomon's kingdom. Fearing retribution, Adonijah fled to the altar in Jerusalem, but Solomon had mercy on him. David died at the age of 70 after 40 years of reign. On his deathbed, David instructs Solomon to walk in the ways of God and take revenge on his enemies.

King David was buried on Mount Zion. According to the New Testament, it was at this place that the Last Supper was held.

King David in history and archeology

The question of whether King David is a real historical figure is still relevant today. Until recently, there was no confirmation of the historicity of David. However, some recent archaeological artifacts suggest that David is probably a real historical figure.

The Tel Dan stele (stone covered with inscriptions), erected in Damascus in the late 9th - early 8th centuries BC. NS. to commemorate the victory of the ruler over the enemy kings, contains the phrase bytdwd, which most scholars translate as "the house of David." It is likely that this is a reference to the dynasty of the Kingdom of Judah.

Stele Mesha

The Mesh stela from Moab, dating from roughly the same period, also contains the name David in two places. In addition to two steles, the name of David is also found on a bas-relief in Egypt. All other accounts of David's life and reign come from biblical literature. At the same time, many biblical scholars believe that the biblical story of a single Israeli monarchy is just ideological propaganda created in the 6th century BC. NS. and that the figure of David is not historical.

Archaeological evidence suggests that in the 10th century BC (during the time of David), Judea was sparsely populated and Jerusalem was a small village. The next century saw the rise of the Kingdom of Judah. Judea gradually developed from a place inhabited by various tribes into a small state. These facts do not confirm, but do not deny the possibility of the existence of King David as a real historical person.

Some scholars believe in the historicity of David, but not in his status. For example, Baruch Halpern believes that David was a lifelong vassal of Achus, the Philistine king. Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Zilberman describe David as the charismatic leader of a band of robbers who took over Jerusalem and made it their capital. Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Zilberman reject the idea that David ruled over two Kings. They assume that he was a small leader of the Southern Kingdom (Judea). At the same time, they emphasize that at the time of David, Judea was a polytheistic state, and the biblical stories about David were created according to legends much later and are an attempt to portray the past as golden age of monotheistic monarchy only to assert contemporary interests.

Stephen Mackenzie, author of the biography of King David, believes that David actually came from a wealthy family and was an "ambitious and ruthless" tyrant who killed his opponents, including his own sons, on the way to power.

Psalmist David

David is considered to be the author of all or most of the psalms of the Psalms. According to another version, he only edited the Psalter. Many psalms relate to specific events in David's life (for example, psalms 3, 7, 18, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63, and 142).

Figure of David in Christianity

The concept of the Messiah is central to Christianity. The first earthly king to rule by divine appointment (“anointed one”) was King David. David's story is a prehistory to the concept of Messiahship in early Christianity. Thus David, as leader and king, was the mediator between God and the people. In the early Church, it was believed that the life of David foreshadowed the life of Christ: they were born in one place, David was a shepherd, which indicates Christ.

Memory of David.

The Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church celebrate the memory of David on December 29. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of the Holy Righteous Prophet and King David on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (two Sundays before the great feast of the Nativity of Christ). The memory of David is also celebrated on the Sunday after the birth of Christ, along with Joseph and Jacob, the brother of the Lord.

In 965 BC. NS. at the age of 70, the Israeli king David completed his life. He was buried in Jerusalem on Mount Zion, exactly where, many centuries later, the Last Supper took place, preceding the sufferings and torments of the cross of Jesus Christ. The image of this biblical character became the personification of the former greatness of the Jewish people and the hope for its coming revival.

The young anointed of God

According to the testimony of the Old Testament, the pious Bethlehemian Jesse and his wife, the Moabite Ruth, who lived in the XI century BC. e., eight sons were growing up, the youngest of whom was the future biblical king David. It is believed that he was born in 1035 BC. NS.

The Holy Scriptures narrate that even in his youth, the boy was distinguished not only by his beauty and strength, but by his amazing eloquence, as well as the ability to play the cinema, an ancient string instrument.

The life, or, more simply, the biography of King David, begins with the fact that he appears to readers as a young shepherd who spends days and nights with flocks of sheep on the slopes of the hills surrounding his hometown of Bethlehem. The young man was distinguished by courage, protecting his charges from bears and lions.

In those years, the people of Israel were ruled by King Saul, who became the first but then rejected by Him for disobedience and pride. Therefore, the Lord sent the prophet Samuel to secretly anoint His new chosen one to reign, who became the young shepherd - the youngest son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite. From the moment when the prophet fulfilled this great mission, the Spirit of God rested on the future king David, and he became the executor of His holy will.

Royal favor, replaced by hatred

By the will of the Most High, David found grace in the eyes of King Saul, who remained in power for several more years. This was served by two episodes described in the Old Testament. One of them is the wonderful play of the young man on the cinema, with which he managed to calm the tsar's mental anguish, and the other is his victory over the giant Goliath. The Scriptures say that, on the eve of the decisive battle with the Philistines in the camp of the Israelites, he accepted the challenge to a duel from this formidable hero and, having slain him with a stone released from a sling, ensured victory for his people. This feat allowed David to enter the inner circle of the king and win the friendship of his son Jonathan.

But it so happened that the fame of the young warrior, reaching all corners of the country, aroused burning envy in Saul and became the reason that the former favor was replaced by hatred. Repeatedly the king tried to kill David, but he could not do it openly, fearing general indignation, and therefore resorted to various tricks and intrigues. When it became obvious that a bloody denouement was inevitable, the disgraced hero was forced to flee and wander in the desert for a long time, looking for salvation there from his pursuers. Over the years of wandering, he closely got to know the life of the common people and learned compassion for people.

Serving former enemies

However, his former glory was not forgotten, and gradually around the future king David began to gather all who became a victim of oppression and insults. Over time, a large detachment was formed of them, at the head of which the disgraced anointed of God left the country and temporarily entered the service of his former enemies ─ the Philistines and their king Anchus.

Having found a patron in his person, David and his supporters settled in the border town of Zikelag, from where they raided the settlements of the neighboring tribes of the Amolektians. Part of the loot went under the treaty to Ankhus, and the rest of the loot was divided among the exiles. David was loyal to the king, but when he called him to participate in a military campaign against the kingdom of Israel, he managed to cunningly evade the need to fight with his own people.

David's accession to Judea

The ensuing war became disastrous for the Israelites. At the battle of Gelvah, the Philistines inflicted a crushing defeat on them, which cost the life of King Saul. Seriously wounded and foreseeing imminent capture, he committed suicide by impaling himself with his own sword. On the same day, his son Jonathan, who had saved David from his father's persecution more than once, died.

Despite the fact that David did not personally take part in the battle, he nevertheless took advantage of the victory of the Philistines, and arriving with his detachment in the city of Hebron, located in the southern part of the kingdom of Israel, was officially anointed to reign. However, over the next seven years, the power of King David did not extend to the entire country, but only to its part, called Judea. It received this name due to the fact that representatives of the tribe of Judah lived there ─ one of the twelve sons of the Jewish forefather Jacob. The rest of the territory was ruled by one of the surviving sons of Saul.

At the head of all Israel

The division of the once unified state led to internecine strife, as a result of which the Jews won the victory. Immediately after the end of hostilities, Israeli elders arrived in Hebron and called on David to reign over the entire country. So the Lord raised up over the Jewish people His anointed one, marked by His behavior even by the prophet Samuel. In those days, David was barely 30 years old.

Building Jerusalem

After becoming king of Israel, David showed the world a model of wisdom and unyielding determination in the fight against enemies. He won many victories, and soon none of the neighboring rulers dared to attack him. During the first seven years of his reign, while the royal residence was located in Hebron, the construction of a new capital of the state ─ Jerusalem, whose name from the Hebrew language is translated as "City of Peace", was underway.

A tabernacle was installed in the center of it, into which the greatest shrine of the Jewish people was transferred - the Ark of the Covenant ─ a portable chest, in which the stone Tablets with the commandments received by Moses were kept, as well as a vessel with Heavenly Manna and Aaron's staff. This further raised the status of the new capital.

Great psalmist

Through His prophet, the Lord announced to King David that henceforth his house would reign forever, and from it in the future the Messiah would appear to the world. Note that the followers of Judaism to this day expect the fulfillment of prophecy, while Christians believe that it was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

The Lord endowed His chosen one with many talents. In particular, He gifted him with the art of composing psalms ─ religious verses, which were then combined into a collection known as the Psalter of King David, and included in the number of the sacred books of the Old Testament. His texts that go beyond Judaism are widely used in various Christian worship services. The 40th, 50th and 90th psalms of King David are especially in demand. But besides this, reading the full text is included in the order of performance of many Christian rituals. For example, it is customary to read the Psalter over the bodies of the departed.

Unfulfilled dreams

Forty years of the reign of King David (that is how long he was in power) became a period of extraordinary prosperity for the entire Jewish people. Being a wise ruler, he built the state in every possible way and strengthened the faith in the Almighty among its inhabitants. He helped him in all his endeavors, with the exception of only one.

The fact is that by transferring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and placing it in the marching tabernacle, David conceived the construction of a grandiose Temple. However, with all the good pleasure towards His chosen one, the Lord did not allow him to do this, but blessed the son of King David ─ Solomon for such a great act, whose birth will be described below. Through the lips of the prophet, he announced that, while participating in wars, he was forced to shed a lot of blood, and that it was only necessary to build the House of God with clean hands.

Thus, David was forced to give up the honor of building the Temple to his son, but in subsequent years he did everything that was possible in this direction. He collected the necessary funds, developed drawings of buildings that make up the temple complex, and also prepared sketches of the attributes of future services. He conveyed all this to Solomon, greatly facilitating the fulfillment of the task ahead.

Enemy temptations

Despite the fact that the whole story of King David is a story about a true servant of God who became the embodiment of innumerable benefactors, there was an episode in his life that spoiled the overall picture and even partially tarnished his reputation. The enemy of the human race, as you know, often chooses the most righteous people as the object of his intrigues. He did not miss the opportunity to interfere with King David.

One evening, Satan brought him to a balcony overlooking the courtyard of his neighbor ─ the military leader Uriah the Hittite, just as his naked wife Versavia was splashing in the pool. According to the custom of the East, the king had many wives and concubines, but he had never seen such a beauty.

Having riveted the eyes of David to her, the enemy of the human race kindled an intolerable fire in his flesh (Satan is a master in these matters). Knowing that Versavia's husband was not at home, since he was sent on a long campaign, the king ordered his servants to deliver a young woman to him, who, by the way, did not express the slightest indignation at such an obvious treachery, or, as it is fashionable to say now, sexual harassment.

Falling into a Deeper Sin

Still indulging the insatiable voluptuary, she soon became pregnant with him and gave birth to a son. Unlike hundreds of other women who shared his bed with the king, Versavia captivated the heart of David to such an extent that he decided to make her his official wife, but this required somehow getting rid of her husband.

The crafty one did not miss the opportunity to intervene here either. At his instigation, the king sent the commander of the army in which Uriah fought, a letter with the order to send him to the most dangerous place, where he would face imminent death. He exactly fulfilled the order of the king. Widowed, Versavia soon became the lawful wife of King David. Such an act aroused the wrath of the Lord God, and through the prophet Nathan He denounced His anointed one for the crime committed before Heaven and people.

Deep repentance

Realizing the depth of his guilt, the tsar brought the Lord the deepest repentance, which formed the basis of the famous 50th Psalm, to this day pronounced during the reading of the "Morning Prayer Rule" by all Orthodox Christians. After this exciting text, it is customary to offer prayers to King David for his intercession before the Throne of God for the forgiveness of certain of our sins that burden our conscience.

Having listened to such passionate repentant speeches, the Lord, through the same prophet Nathan, informed David that he was forgiven, but must be punished, which would be the death of his son, born to him by Versavia before marriage. Soon the child really died, but a year later, his beloved wife gave him a new one, which became the future great king of Israel, Solomon, the builder of the First.That is why in the prayers to King David there are petitions not only for forgiveness of sins, but also for intercession before the Lord for the sending of worthy heirs.

End of life

The main concern in the last years of the reign of King David was the problems associated with the issue of succession to the throne. He had many sons. Without waiting for the death of their father, some of them began to wage a fierce struggle for power. The eldest son Absalom turned out to be especially daring and indomitable. The Bible says that under the external beauty and grace, there was an insidious and cruel soul hidden in him. Gathering a large detachment from his supporters, he went to war against his own father, and only the will of God prevented the implementation of his insidious plans.

The sadness of David, caused by the treachery of his eldest son, did not have time to dissipate, when the next oldest Savie raised a new rebellion, and when he was pacified, his third son, Adonijah, raised his sword against his father. This struggle with his own sons poisoned the last years of the king's life and undermined his spiritual strength. Sensing the approach of death, at the insistence of Versavia and the prophet Nathan, he declared his son Solomon the heir to the throne, anointing him to reign. King David passed away in 965 BC. e., and today his grave is not one of the greatest shrines of the Jewish people.