NATHAN, Hebrew prophet in the time of David and Solomon. He was in his day the latest direct descendant and representative of the school of the prophets under Samuel. Saint Jerome mentions a Jewish tradition which iden tifies him with the eighth son of Jesse, but there is no ground for this supposition. His earliest appearance in the history of David is as the king's counsellor, first advising the building of the temple and then after a vision announcing that the time had not yet come (about 1010 a.c.). His power, eloquence and tact as a prophet are shown by his exquisite apologue of the ewe lamb which brought Divid to a sense of his guilt in the case of Bathsheba (1000 c.). On the birth of Solomon the prophet named the child Jedidiah, gfriend of the Lord' and was entrusted with his education. When the end of David's reign approached Nathan advocated the succession to Solomon, counseled Bathsheba to secure it, and rebuking the in difference of the king obtained his presence and assistance at the inauguration of his suc cessor (977 B.c.). Nathan's sons occupied high
posts in the new court, Nabud being "the king's friend" and principal officer or chamberlain, while Azariah was over the "twelve officers which provided victuals for the king and his house hold.° It was in accordance with the counsels and suggestions of this prophet that David, the year after his son's accession, crowned the work of his life, as poet, musician and promoter of a rich temple ritual, by introducing into public worship an orchestra of Levites. Eccles. ix, 14-16, a passage attributed to Solomon, is evi dently an imitation of 2 Sam. xii, 1-4, which shows how the influence of Nathan was per petuated in the literature of succeeding ages. In I Citron. xxix, 29, and II Chron. ix, 29, he is mentioned as historian of the reigns of David and Jonathan. He died about 935 s.c., and his grave is still pointed out at Halhul, five miles north of the ancient Hebron. An echo of his parable of the rich man with many flocks is found in the Koran, Sura xxxviii, 20-25.