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Abiathar, 84–85, 203, 206, 212, 213, 244

Abigail: idealization of David, 7–8; marriage to David, 78, 96–98, 120, 121, 191; in murder of Nabal, 94–95, 96; offspring, 188

Abimelech, 111

Abishai, 131–132, 214

Abner: battle at Gibeon, 131, 147–148; betrayal and death, 132–138, 154, 209, 210; leadership of Israel, 129–132, 283n8; in Saul’s military, 50, 57, 63

Absalom, rise and fall: Adonijah parallels, 231–232; Amnon in, 191–196; Bathsheba story and, 202, 205; David’s flight during, 202–205; downfall and death, 205–211; exile and return, 196–198; revolt and overthrow, 198–202

Absalom’s death aftermath: apology written during, 253–254; change in David’s power, 211–212, 219–220; Judah in, 212–213, 215–218; pursuit of Sheba, 216–219; settling individual cases, 213–215

Achish, 100, 101, 104–105, 108, 122

Adonijah: Bathsheba’s objection to, 233–236; death, 243–244; proposed co-rule, 231–233, 238–239; supplanted by Solomon, 237–241

Adullam gathering, 86–87

Ahinoam, 78–80, 188, 190–191, 195

Ahitophel, 203, 206, 212, 228, 241

Amalekite messenger, 110–113, 139–140

Amalekite raid, 108–109, 121

Amarna letters, 103

Amasa, 212–213, 217–218, 244

Ammon, 181–186

Amnon, 188, 191–196, 296n12

animal sacrifice, 169–170, 171

apology: Abner’s death, 136–137; Absalom’s death, 208–211; David story as, 43–46, 74–76, 222, 254–255; demonstrating cultural values, 259–260; genre of, 44–45; Michal marriage story, 65; Saul’s death, 92–94, 114, 121–122; for Solomon, 230, 236, 253; writing of David’s, 253–256

“Apology of Hattušili, The,” 44–45, 75

Arameans, 181–186

Araunah, 172–174

ark of the covenant: altar establishment, 173–175; appropriated by David, 167–169; background, 165–167; ceremonial acts accompanying, 169–171; divinely legitimizing David, 175–176; in flight from Absalom, 202–203; as revenue source, 171–173; in Solomon’s temple, 248

Asahel, 131

authorship by association, 18–19, 34

Baal, 130

Baanah, 138–140

Babylonian conquest, 31, 152, 256

Barzillai, 215

Bathsheba story: and Absalom’s revolt, 202, 205; affair and pregnancy, 221–224; as moral lesson, 221; propelling Solomon’s kingship, 233–236, 240–241; Solomon’s paternity questioned, 225–230; Uriah’s death, 224–225

Benaiah, 231, 232, 236, 240, 244

Bible: authorship by association, 18–19, 34; birth stories, 17; character trait illustration, 19–22; David’s impact on, 261–262; and history, 8–11, 263; as ideology, 254–255; narrative of David’s life, 3, 18, 32, 43–44; rule of three, 66–67; Samuel revised by Chronicles, 11–12, 127.
See also
apology; idealization of David

Calebites, 97–98, 120

census taking, 173

character trait illustration, 18–22

Christianity, 5, 14–15, 172, 257, 262

City of David, 160, 161–162.
See also
Jerusalem

coup, 68–69, 78–80, 162.
See also
Absalom, rise and fall; David’s path to kingship; Solomon’s coup

cultic center establishment, 33, 167–172, 175–179, 261

cultic music references, 33, 34

cult of the dead, 153–154

cultural impact, 5, 14–16, 21–22, 262–265

David: anointing by Samuel, 22, 36–37; biblical narrative, 3, 18, 32, 43–44; death, 242–243; impact on Bible, 261–262; Jonathan and, 70–75; line of, 4–5, 33, 176, 245–246, 255, 257; love for, 74–75; proof of existence, 12–14, 45–46; wives and family, 188–191, 245; youth, 17–18.
See also
Goliath slaying; idealization of David; lyre playing stories; psalmist image

David in the wilderness: Adullam gathering, 86–87; as
habiru,
101–104; Judahite response to, 89–92; at Keilah, 87–89; Nabal’s murder, 94–99; Nob story, 84–85; as Philistine ally, 99–101, 104–105, 112–113; reasons for flight, 76–81; role in Saul’s death, 105, 108–114; Saul pursuing David, 89–90; sparing Saul apology, 92–94; witch of En-dor episode, 105.
See also
Saul rivalry

David’s military service: biblical account, 46–47, 59–61; exaggerated descriptions, 53–57, 59–62; Goliath defeat launching, 52–53; rank and role, 57–59, 63–64

David’s path to kingship: Abner’s betrayal and death, 132–137; anointed king of Israel, 140–143; anointing in Judah, 118, 124–126; apology, 75–76; eliminating Saul’s descendants, 143–149; Hebron rule, 118–120, 123–125; “House of Judah” creation, 125–126; Ishbaal’s death, 138–140; Israelite’s view on, 117–118, 141–142; as Philistine vassal, 126–128; redistribution of spoils, 121–125; return of Saul’s family’s bones, 153–155; sparing Meribbaal, 149–153; taking of Israel, 128–132

David’s reign: achievements and costs, 251, 257–260, 262–265; administrative structure, 162–163; Adonijah’s co-rule attempt, 231–233, 238–239; ancient Israel’s views on, 219–220; apology and glorification, 253–257; census taking, 173; conquest of neighbors, 179–186; establishing divine rule, 79–80, 105, 125, 175; impact on modern Israel, 260–262; Jerusalem center established, 158–162, 167–172, 175–179, 261; lack of a temple, 176–177; maps, 178, 184; palace construction, 164–165; royal Davidic ideology, 175–176, 245–246, 255–257; Solomon building on, 246–251.
See also
Absalom, rise and fall; Absalom’s death aftermath; ark of the covenant; Bathsheba story; Solomon’s coup

Dead Sea Scrolls, 18, 31, 33

death cults, 153–154

Dinah, 192–193

divine rule: establishing David’s, 79–80, 105, 125, 175–176; Near East beliefs, 143–144, 149; Solomon’s kingship as, 245–246, 248–249

dynastic succession: Abner upholding, 129–130; Chronicles upholding David’s, 33; David’s marriage to Michal, 64–65, 190; and Meribbaal’s impairment, 149–150; royal Davidic ideology, 4–5, 176, 245–246, 255–257; Saul and, 68–72, 143–144.
See also
Absalom, rise and fall; Solomon’s coup

Edomites, 182–183, 185

elders at the gate, 199

Eleazar, 40–41

Elhanan, 38–41

Eliab, 37

Enki and Ninmah myth, 150

faith, 21–22

family tombs, 153–154

founder myths, 6, 14–15, 21–22

Gath, 100, 185

genealogical succession.
See
dynastic succession

Geshur, 189, 196–197

Gibeon, 131–132, 145–148, 217, 218

glorification of David.
See
idealization of David

Goliath slaying: as character trait illustration, 20–22; contradictory to psalmist image, 22–26; as glorification device, 38–42, 272n22; as iconic story, 3, 5; launching Saul rivalry, 52–53; location, 55, 58–59

habiru
(bandit), 102–104

Hammurabi code, 199

Hattušili apology, 44–45, 75

“Hebrew,” 104

Hebron, 118–121, 123–125, 200

herem
(the ban), 84–85

hero stories, 6, 14–15, 21–22, 39–40

homosexuality, 72–74

house arrest, 151–152

Hushai, 203–207, 241

idealization of David: cultural impact, 5–6, 14–16; in early writings, 7–12; as evidence of existence, 12–14; faithfulness of David, 21–22, 259; timelessness of David, 3–6.
See also
apology; Goliath slaying; lyre playing stories; psalmist image

incest, 190–191

Ishbaal: abdication, 135, 137; death and burial, 138–140, 154; rule over Israel, 129–130, 132–133, 189, 283n8

Israel, ancient: Absalom’s rebellion and, 201–202, 211, 219–220; access to God, 171–172; after Babylonian exile, 256–257; David’s battle against, 128–132; end times beliefs, 256–257; family tombs, 153–154; famine, 144–146, 148; levirate marriage, 96; maps, 48, 58, 178, 184; naming practices, 227–229; national self-conception, 260–261; Philistine rivalry, 50–52, 56, 58–59; royal wives and concubines, 78–79; Saul’s reign, 47–50; Solomon’s reign, 246–251.
See also
David’s path to kingship; David’s reign; tribal society

Israel, modern, 5, 179, 186, 260–263

Jabesh-Gilead, 128–129

Jebusites, 158, 159, 174, 259

Jehoiachin, 152

Jehoram, 194

Jerusalem: after Babylonian exile, 256; City of David, 161–162; cultic center establishment, 167–172, 175–177, 179, 261; David’s palace, 163–165; map, 160; Solomon’s temple, 248–249, 256; taking of, 158–159; Temple Mount, 161, 173–175

Jesse, 22–25, 36

Jesus, 5, 257

Joab: and Abner, 131–132, 136–137, 147–148; in Absalom stories, 196–198, 207–210; blamed for David’s sins, 210, 222, 260; David’s selection of, 162–163; death, 242–243, 244; Sheba and Amasa, 217–219; Uriah’s death and, 224–225

Jonathan, 57, 70–75, 107, 114, 128, 151

Joshua, 146

Judah: Absalom’s death aftermath, 212–213, 215–218; Babylonian conquest of, 152; “House of Judah” creation, 125–126; raided by David, 100–101, 121; in Saul’s reign, 58–59; in Solomon’s reign, 246–248; tribal system in, 91, 124; united monarchy impact, 246–247, 251, 257–258, 260–262; wilderness conditions, 83–84.
See also
David in the wilderness; David’s path to kingship; David’s reign

Judaism, 14–15, 261, 262

Judges 5, 49

judgment by elders, 199–200

Keilah, 87–89, 91, 98, 119, 121

le-David
superscriptions, 27–31

levirate marriage, 96–97, 98

line of David, 4–5, 33, 176, 245–246, 255, 257

literary conventions, 13, 39–40, 66–67, 69, 74, 183.
See also
apology

lyre playing stories: defining David, 20, 21–22; Goliath story disconnect, 22–25; psalms authorship and, 18, 32, 34–35; in Saul-David rivalry, 35–36, 62, 63, 75