Absalom: Difference between revisions

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'''Absalom''' ({{langx|he|אַבְשָׁלוֹם}} {{Transliteration|he|ʾAḇšālōm}}, {{Literal translation|[[Ab (Semitic)|Father]] of [[Shalom|Peace]]}}), according to the [[Hebrew Bible]], was an [[Kings of Israel and Judah|Israelite prince]]. Born to [[David]] and [[Maacah]], who was from [[Geshur]], he was the only full sibling of [[Tamar (daughter of David)|Tamar]]. He is described in the [[Hebrew Bible]] as being exceptionally beautiful, as is his sister.<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|14:25|NIV}}</ref> In the narrative of [[2 Samuel 13]], his sister Tamar takes refuge at his house after she is raped by their paternal half-brother [[Amnon]] (born to David and [[Ahinoam]], who was from [[Tel Jezreel|Jezreel]]); David is angered by the incident, but does nothing, as Amnon is his [[heir apparent]]. Infuriated by the rape and David's inaction, Absalom assassinates Amnon and subsequently flees to Geshur, which is ruled by his and Tamar's maternal grandfather [[Talmai]].

Absalom, David's third son, by Maacah, was born in [[Hebron]].<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|3:3}}</ref> At an early age, he moved, along with the transfer of the capital, to [[Jerusalem]], where he spent most of his life. He was a great favorite of his father and of the people. His charming manners, personal beauty, insinuating ways, love of pomp, and royal pretensions captivated the hearts of the people from the beginning. He lived in great style, drove in a magnificent chariot, and had fifty men run before him.

 

Little is known of Absalom's family life, but the biblical narrative states that he had three sons and one daughter, Tamar, who is described as a beautiful woman.<ref name="auto"/> From the language of 2 Samuel 18:18, Absalom states, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance".<ref name="auto1">{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|18:18|KJV}}</ref> It may be that his sons died before his statement,{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|1905|p=173}} or, as [[Matthew Henry]] suggests, Absalom's three sons may have been born ''after'' his statement.<ref>{{Cite book |title=An Exposition of the Old and New Testament |last=Henry |first=Matthew |authorlink= Matthew Henry |publisher= [[Henry George Bohn]] |year= 1853 |url= https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mhm/2-samuel-14.html |quote= It is probable that it was a good while before he had a child. Then, despairing of having one, he set up the pillar (2 Samuel 18:18) to bear up his name, but afterwards he had three sons and one daughter (2 Samuel 14:27). Or perhaps these sons, while he was hatching his rebellion, were all cut off by the righteous hand of God, and he thereupon set up that monument.}}</ref>

After four years, he declared himself king, raised a revolt at Hebron, the former capital, and publicly raped his father's ten concubines.{{sfn|Kirk-Duggan|2004|p=59}} It is said that this was God punishing David for his sin with [[Bathsheba]] tenfold.  All Israel and Judah flocked to him, and David, attended only by the [[Cherethites and Pelethites]] and his former bodyguard, which had followed him from Gath, found it expedient to flee. The priests [[Zadok]] and [[Abiathar]] remained in Jerusalem, and their sons Jonathan and Ahimaaz served as David's spies. Absalom reached the capital and consulted with the renowned [[Ahitophel]] (sometimes spelled Achitophel). It is also speculated that Ahitophel could have joined Absalom's cause as David had previously committed adultery with his granddaughter, Bathsheba.

Popular legend states that the eye of Absalom was of immense size, signifying his insatiable greed.<ref>Niddah, 24b</ref> Indeed, "hell itself opened beneath him, and David, his father, cried seven times: 'My son! my son!' while bewailing his death, praying at the same time for his redemption from the seventh section of [[Gehenna]], to which he was consigned".<ref>Soṭah, 10b</ref> According to R. Meir,<ref>Sanh. 103b</ref> "he has no share in the life to come". And according to the description of Gehenna by [[Joshua ben Levi]], who, like Dante, wandered through hell under the guidance of the angel Duma, Absalom still dwells there, having the rebellious heathen in charge; and when the angels with their fiery rods run also against Absalom to smite him like the rest, a heavenly voice says: "Spare Absalom, the son of David, My servant."{{sfn|Singer|1901|p=133}} "That the extreme penalties of hell were thus averted from him, was on account of David's eightfold repetition of his son's name in his lament over him. Besides, David's intercession had the effect of re-attaching Absalom's severed head to his body. An account of Joshua Ben Levi going to the fifth compartment of Paradise reports: "The fifth compartment is of silver, and gold, and refined gold, and of crystal, and bdellium; and through its midst flows the river Gihon. The walls are of silver and gold, and a perfume breathes through it more exquisite than the perfume of Lebanon. And beds of silver and gold are there prepared, covered with violet and purple covers, woven by Eve, and mixed with scarlet and made of hair of goats, woven by angels. Here dwell the Messiah and Elijah in a palanquin of the wood of Lebanon; the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple. Herein lieth the Messiah, the son of David, who is the love of the daughters of Jerusalem, the midst thereof is love. The prophet Elijah takes the head of the Messiah and places it in his bosom and says to him: "Be quiet and wait, for the end draweth nigh." On every Monday and Thursday and Saturday and Holiday the Patriarchs come to him and the fathers of the Tribes and Moses and Aaron and David and Solomon and every king of Israel and of the house of Judah, and they weep with him and comfort him, and say unto him: "Be quiet and wait and rely upon thy Creator, for the end draweth nigh." Also Korah and his company and Dathan and Abiram and Absalom come to him on every Wednesday, and ask him: "When will the end of our misery come? When wilt thou reveal thyself?"16. He answereth them and says: "Go to your fathers and ask them." And when they hear of their fathers they feel ashamed and do not ask any further.<ref>[https://sacred-texts.com/journals/jras/1893-15.htm Hebrew Visions of Hell and Paradise]</ref> King David's prayers granted his rebellious son Avshalom access to the World to Come<ref>[https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2312388/jewish/Chapter-5-Who-Will-Rise.htm Who-Will-Rise Chabad Library]</ref> At his death Absalom was childless, for all his children, his three sons and his daughter, died before him, as a punishment for his having set fire to a field of grain belonging to Joab."<ref>{{citation-attribution|1=[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2882/2882.txt Legends of the Jews pp.107-108]}}</ref> Although Absalom avenged his sister's defilement by Amnon, ironically he proved himself to be little different from Amnon. As Amnon had sought the advice of Jonadab in order to rape Tamar, Absalom had sought the advice of Ahitophel who advised Absalom to have incestuous relations with his father's concubines in order to show all Israel how odious he was to his father [2 Samuel 16:20]. Likewise as Amnon had brought two curses on himself for incest with his half sister and failing to fulfill the Torah Law, Absalom brought four curses on himself for dishonoring his father; relations with his father's wives [concubines]; and failing to fulfill the Torah Law twice. [Deuteronomy 27:20 26]  The Rabbis explain that the concubines were not punished by God. They were violated by  Absalom.  Absalom with his own free will, choose to do that. It is true God created a world where we humans can choose good or evil, but the choice in the end remains ours. Although God had told David that his wives would be taken, he did not ordain or force Absalom to violate them. He just foretold it. Is A lesson to be learned of the consequences from Absalom life is that his lust for power was so deep that he engaged in acts of  [[chillul hashem]]  and brought upon himself 4 curses from the Torah? (Dishonoring his father by his revolt; dishonoring his father's wives; and twice bring curses on himself for not fulfilling the Torah law)?Yes. He was a prince who could had almost anything. The only things he wanted were things he could not have. He lusted after his sister and his father's throne. Wealth is not determined by possessions but by mindset. In his mind, Absalom was a pauper. He only looked at what he did not have.<ref>[https://www.thehebrewcafe.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=680&page=3 Response of Chabbad Ask A Rabbi Query 27 September 2024]</ref>

* {{Cite news |first= Amiram|last= Barkat |url= https://www.haaretz.com/1.5348158 |title= Jewish Yad Avshalom revealed as a Christian shrine from Byzantine era |newspaper= [[Haaretz]] |date=22 July 2003 |access-date=27 September 2018}}