General Notes

David (king) (died 961 BC), king (1000-961 BC) of Judah and Israel,founder of the Judean dynasty. Several accounts of his accomplishmentsoccur in the Old Testament, chiefly in the books of Samuel, Kings, andChronicles.

David was the youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd of Bethlehem, where hespent his youth tending his father's flocks. He became known for hismusical skill and for his courage, exemplified by his victoriousencounter with the Philistine giant Goliath. As his reputation grew, hewas summoned to the royal court, where he received an appointment asarmor-bearer to Saul, the first king of Israel. After achievingdistinction in the wars against the Philistines, he married Michal,Saul's daughter, and won the friendship of Jonathan, Saul's son. As aresult of his growing popularity, however, he incurred the jealousy ofthe king, who banished him from the court. David spent the next period ofhis life in exile, at the head of a band of warriors, levying tribute onthe landowners of Judah. After a period in the town of Adullam, nearJerusalem, and in the deserts of Judea, he entered the service of Achish,king of the Philistine city of Gath. As a reward for his help to Achish,he was made ruler of the town of Ziklag.

David returned to his native country after Saul, Jonathan, and two othersof Saul's four sons died in battle with the Philistines. Becoming king ofJudah at Hebron, he reigned for seven years, until about 993 BC, when hewas anointed king of Israel. David subsequently defeated in rapidsuccession the Philistines, Moabites, Aramaeans, Edomites, and Ammonites,firmly establishing Israel as an independent national state and greatlyextending its dominions. One of his principal conquests was that of theJebusite stronghold of Zion, which he made the nucleus of his capitalcity, Jerusalem, often called the City of David. There he constructed hispalace and installed, under a tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, makingJerusalem the religious and political center of the domains united in hisperson.

During the siege of Rabbath (now Amman, Jordan), the Ammonite capital,David committed adultery with Bathsheba, wife of the soldier Uriah, forwhose death he was indirectly responsible. This episode, generallyconsidered the major sin of his life, was followed by recurring troubleswith his children, one of whom, Absalom, was killed during a rebellionthat he had organized against his father. The final years of David'sreign were marked by additional family troubles, notably the dispute withhis eldest surviving son, Adonijah, that developed after David hadselected Solomon, his son by Bathsheba, as heir to the throne.

David was a valiant warrior and an outstanding leader. He displayedunfailing religious devotion and epitomized the courage and aspirationsof his people, the prophets of whom came inevitably to regard him as thetype of the promised Messiah. In both the Old Testament and NewTestament, the Messiah is referred to as the Son of David. In tradition,he is credited with writing 73 of the Psalms; most scholars, however,consider this claim questionable.

Holy City of the Jews

According to the Old Testament, David brought the sacred Ark of theCovenant to Jerusalem from Qiryat Ye'crim (a holy place of the time, westof Jerusalem) and installed it in a new tabernacle, built a royal palaceand other buildings, and strengthened the city's fortifications. AlthoughDavid greatly expanded the Kingdom of Israel and made Jerusalem itscapital, the city and the temple he built were quite modest. Solomon, hisson and successor, improved the temple and enlarged the city. He built acity wall and many buildings on a scale of magnificence previouslyunknown in Israel.

Solomon's Temple was destroyed and the Jews exiled by the Babylonians inthe year 586 BC. In 539 BC, Babylonia was conquered by the Persians (seePersia), who allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem the following year.The construction of a new temple, or Second Temple, was then undertakenon the ruins of the old. Jerusalem was captured by Alexander the Great in333 BC, and after his death it came under the rule first of Egyptians andlater of Syrians. The Syrian ruler Antiochus IV attempted to wipe out theJewish religion by destroying a large part of Jerusalem in 168 BC. Thiscaused a Jewish revolt under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus, a memberof a priestly ruling family, the Hasmonaeans (see Maccabees). Heliberated Jerusalem from the Syrians in 165 BC and later extendedHasmonaean rule over a large part of Judea. Jerusalem became thedestination of annual Jewish pilgrimage from the outlying area, sincecertain religious obligations could only be fulfilled in the temple. AllJewish sacred and secular law and power came to be concentrated in thecity.