The Struggle For The Succession

Towards the end of his life, David, who suffered from the cold, hardly left his bed. Though they laid many coverlets on him it seemed impossible to keep out the cold. In an effort to warm him his servants brought to his bed a young concubine, Abishag, the beautiful Shunamite. The remedy was unsuccessful. The king was advancing rapidly towards the grave.

All were wondering who would wear the crown on David's death. Properly speaking, it should have been Adonijah, the third son, since the two elder sons, Amnon and Absalom had died in the tragic circumstances that have been related. Around the heir presumptive a political group was formed ready to further his candidature to the throne by all available means. There was Joab, the constantly victorious commander-in-chief, and the kohen Abiathar, a survivor of the massacre at Nob, and David's faithful follower. In addition, there were most of Adonijah's brothers.

Opposed to this party was that of Solomon, the son of Bathsheba, the powerful, insinuating favourite of the king to whom he always listened. On this side too, was the high kohen Zadok, the prophet Nathan and Benaiah, the leader of the foreign troops.

It was difficult to see which of these two factions would succeed. With one word David could have settled the question. But as on every occasion when he had to judge between his sons, he hesitated, temporized and kept silent. He again showed the parental weakness which caused him to recoil from causing pain to one of his children. Strong in his right as the eldest son, Adonijah decided to act. Without waiting for his father's death he evolved a cunning plan which would secure, or so he hoped his proclamation as king and his solemn anointing for this office. He gathered together a numerous body of his partisans by inviting them to a great banquet. This imposing meeting -whose political implications had certainly been grasped by all present -took place by the Fuller's Spring at the Sliding Stone at the south-east corner of the rock of Ophel. At the end of the banquet, when those present were cheered by the wine, Adonijah's friends would shout out, 'Long live the king!' The acclamation would be enthusiastically repeated by the whole company and the trick would have succeeded.

But the opposing party -Bathsheba, Zadok, Nathan and Benaiah -were not to be outdone.

Nathan And Bathsheba's Counterstroke

Nathan was rapidly informed of Adonijah's plan. He hastened to Bathsheba. Without a moment's delay their plan was formed.

Bathsheba went to David in his room. Kneeling down she did homage and then reminded David that he had formally promised to place their son Solomon on the throne as his successor. 'And now,' she observed with well-feigned bitterness, 'here is Adonijah king and you, my lord king, knowing nothing about it.' She had no illusions on the subject: directly David was sleeping with his fathers, she and their son Solomon would be promptly executed.

Hardly had Bathsheba finished her remarks than Nathan the prophet was announced. He too knelt down and did homage. As we have seen, Nathan could speak forcefully. He made no secret of his painful surprise. He pretended to believe that David had chosen Adonijah as his successor and given orders for his coronation. A that very moment, he said, the royal banquet was in full swing; the royal officers and the kohen Abiathar were gleefully shouting, 'Long live the king!' Nathan the prophet, the kohen Zadok and Benaiah had been ignored; they had not even been invited to the royal banquet. It seemed that David had treated his old friends, his firmest supporters, in a very off-handed fashion.

The result was not unexpected. David was very angry. Solomon was to reign. Let Zadok the kohen and Benaiah, the commander of the guard, be summoned at once. The excitement had restored to the king some of the energy of his youth; he gave precise and urgent orders: Take the royal guard with you, mount my son Solomon on my own mule and escort him down to Gihon (the spring of Gihon at the foot of the citadel). There Zadok the kohen and the prophet Nathan are to anoint him king of Yisrael; then sound the trumpet and shout "Long live King Solomon !" Then you are to follow him up and he is to come and take his seat on my throne and be king in place of me, for he is the man I have appointed as ruler of Yisrael and of Yahudah.' and Benaiah answered, 'HalleluYah'.

The ceremony was performed in accordance with David's orders. In the valley of Kidron, Zadok anointed the new sovereign's forehead with oil. The people, who appeared always to be amenable, acclaimed him with joy: 'Long live King Solomon!' The trumpets sounded in the narrow valley and the flutes joined in.

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