..'0011 after, however, a momentous change en sues. Saul, subject to tits of brooding, becomes jealous of David's popularity and entertains sus picion of the latter's fidelity. The story of his actually hurling a javelin at David may be a romantic touch, but it is certain that Sattl's jealousy eventually led to David's lianishment from the Court. David now becomes a freebooter and gathers a retinue of brave but reckless war riors about him. With them he leads the life of a Bedonin chief, attacking defenseless landowners and hiring his services in attacks upon Amalek ites, Philistines. and others. The exact course of his wanderings during this period can no longer be followed. After first trying his fortunes at Nob, he is obliged to seek refuge from Saul at Adullam. We find him next in the wild and des ert country smith of .Judea, and he passes at times as far east as the Dead Sea, but after tak ing up his abode for a time at Engedi, Saul's pursuit drives him to Gath, where he offers his services to Aehish, King of the Philistines, in an expedition against Amalekites, Gezrites, and other desert tribes. In reward for his services he obtains the town of Ziklag as a possession. Aehish prepares an attack upon the Israelites and calls upon David to join him. The latter consents, but yielding to the protests of his chief men. who feared treachery on David's part, Aehish compels David to depart. Upon reaching Ziklag lie finds that the Amalekites had raided the town during his absence. In his pursuit lie surprises the Amalekites and routs them. At this moment the tidings reach David of the death of Saul and his three eldest sons at Gilboa in an encounter with the Philistines. The opportunity had now come for David's return to his native country. Ile secures the favor of the inhabitants of 'Hebron and the surrounding district and is anointed King in Hebron, while still retaining Ziklag. Ile makes an attempt at first to obtain control of the northern section, which passes into the hands of Ishhaal, Saul's youngest son, who, however, was entirely in the hands of Abner, the powerful general. Ishbaal foolishly alienates Abner's interest by reproaching him for taking one of Saul's concubines to himself. an act which may have indicated Abner's intention to seize the throne for himself. Abner enters into secret communication with David. but during a visit to him is murdered by Joab, the general of David. Soon afterwards Ishbaal is murdered, and David. being recognized as the natural leader of all Israel, is solemnly anointed King of the whole people at Hebron by an assembly of the elders of the tribes. lie is said to have been thirty seven years old at this time. Seven years, ac cording to the biblical account, had passed since the death of Saul. The accounts of David's reign are quite fragmentary except for occur rences in his immediate family. We learn of successive wars against foa bit es. Ammonites, Edomites. and Philistines, and while the aeemints of his exploits are portrayed perhaps in ton vivid colors, there is no doubt that he succeeded in firmly establishing the independence of Israel and in laying the foundations. for future exten sions. Among other thites, lie captures Jebus. which becomes known heneeforth under its old name, Jerusalem, makes it the capital of the country, and symbolizes this by removing the sacred ark to that place. After securing peace
from his enemies, David had to quell opposition which arose in his own household. His eldest son Amnion outraged his half-sister Tamar, and in revenge Absalom caused Ammon to be mur dered. Subsequently Absalom organized a rebel lion against his father, which obliged the King to leave Jerusalem for a time. The uprising is quelled, but not until Absalom has fallen as a victim. Amasa, David's nephew. who had taken part in the rebellion. but had been pardoned by David and promised the chief command in place of Joah, also falls a sacrifice to the latter's jeal ousy. Once more, as the King stands on the verge of the grave, serious trouble threatens regarding the question of succession. The Court was divided between two candidates—Adonijah, the surviving eldest son, and Solomon, the son of David by Bathsheba. Through the influence of the prophet Nathan, the King decides in favor of Solomon. David dies at an advanced age and is buried in his capital. These family troubles are looked upon by the Jewish writers as a punishment for David's adulterous act with Bathsheba and his subsequent connivance at the murder of Bathsheba's husband, I7riah. There is no doubt that this act, which took place during the war with the Ammonites, is the most serious charge to be brought against him, and there is no reason to question its authenticity, since it is fully in keeping with the conditions that prevailed at the time. In forming an estimate of David, those conditions nmst be taken into considera tion, and no true picture can he obtained of him unless we are willing to recognize his human limitations. That he Was a great warrior admits of no doubt. Indeed, he was essentially a sol dier, courageous and of boundless energy. He possessed the faculty, moreover, to an extraordi nary degree, of gathering men to himself, and as a natural-born leader he overcomes obstacles that would have crushed others. But he also shows traits of cruelty in the treatment of his enemies, connives at treachery, and is willing to make use of underhand measures to accomplish his ends. His moral sense is not strong, and it is probably due to this defect that he shows such lamentable weakness in dealing with his family affairs. But, with all his faults, he remains one of the most notable figures in Hebrew history, and it is not surprising that the attachment to him should have led to the idealization of him by popular tradition. abetted by later writers. Whether he composed poetry is doubtful, though many critics believe that the dirge on the death of Saul and Jonathan I II. Sam. i. 17-27; cf. Psalm xviii.) is his production. In any case. the Psalms. of which seventy-three are by Jewish tradition ascribed to him, do not belong to his age, hut reflect in all but a few eases the religious thought and aspirations of post-exilic Judaism. Consult: The liehrew histories of Ewald. Stade, Wellhauscn, Renan, Guthe, Piepenbring, Kittel. Kent, etc.: also Budde. Die Bucher Richter and Sainuel.ihre purlieu tend filar Anfban (Giessen, 1590) ; for I/avid as a tactician. _panel Dieulafoy. Le Poi Do rid (Paris, 1897). See PSALMS.