Quick Info
| Profession | King, Warrior, Musician, Poet |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Ancient Israel |
| Date of Birth | XX/XX/1040 BCE |
| Birthplace | Bethlehem, Judah |
| Date of Death | XX/XX/970 BCE |
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Bio/Wiki
| Summary | Second ruler of the united kingdom of ancient Israel and Judah who flourished c. 1000 BCE. Founded the Judaean dynasty and united all tribes of Israel under a single monarch. Known as a conqueror, warrior, musician, poet, and writer of psalms. |
|---|---|
| Reign | Approximately 1010-970 BCE (40 years as ruler; 7 years 6 months as King of Judah, 33 years over united kingdom) |
Personal Life
| Skills | Music, warfare, poetry, psalms writing |
|---|---|
| Childhood Occupation | Shepherd |
| Notable Actions | Killed Goliath with a stone; committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged death of her husband Uriah the Hittite |
Relationships & More
| Mentor/Patron | Saul (first king of Israel) |
|---|---|
| Close Friend | Jonathan (Saul's eldest son) |
| Rival | Saul (who plotted to kill him) |
Family
| Father | Jesse |
|---|---|
| Siblings | Seven older brothers |
| Spouse | Bathsheba (among others) |
| Children | Solomon (son with Bathsheba), Absalom (attempted to overthrow him), Adonijah (eldest surviving son) |
| Lineage | Great-grandson of Ruth; descendant of Judah |
Career
| Early Career | Shepherd; gained fame by killing Goliath; became warrior and favorite of King Saul |
|---|---|
| Outlaw Period | Led group of outlaws and refugees in Judean wilderness after fleeing Saul; protected local population from bandits |
| King of Judah | Anointed king of Judah c. 1010 BCE at age 30 |
| King of Israel | Anointed king over united kingdom after removal of Ishbaal |
| Major Achievements | Conquered Jerusalem and made it capital; defeated Philistines decisively; annexed coastal region; became overlord of many small kingdoms; brought Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem; built small empire |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Came from prominent family in Bethlehem, not poor rural background | |
| 2. Captured Jerusalem through covert operation using water shaft to minimize bloodshed | |
| 3. Suspected of engineering Saul's death | |
| 4. Arranged assassinations of both Abner and Ishbaal to consolidate power | |
| 5. Desired to build a temple to Yahweh but was denied due to bloodshed of his reign | |
| 6. Chose Solomon as successor instead of eldest surviving son Adonijah | |
| 7. Honored as ideal king and forefather of future Hebrew Messiah in Jewish prophetic literature |