Absalom, born ca. 1000 BC, died ca. 970 BC, according to the Bible, the third son of king David, the Book of Samuel develops 2 themes about Absalom’s life: his bloody revenge on his half-brother Amnon for an incestuous intercourse with their sister Tamar and rebellion against David. The reason for the rebellion was probably that David chose Solomon to inherit the throne instead of him. In response to this, Absalom gathered the army and decided to arm against his father; he conquered Jerusalem and proclaimed himself king of Hebron. Eventually, he was defeated in the forest of Ephraim and pierced with a spear by the commander of the royal army - Joab, when his hair tangled in the branches of an oak. Although Absalom was considered criminal, David mourned the death of his son from which he was not able to protect him.

The content of this entry has been prepared on the basis of the source materials of the Polish Scientific Publishers PWN.