Enciclopedia Cattolica Vol. I, 1948 Sacred Scripture Peoples and figures

Abisag

ABISAG

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Also known as: Abishag the Shunammite, Abishag, Avishag

ABISAG (Hebrew 'father of error' [?]). - A girl from Shunem (today Solem), a locality on the southern slopes of the lesser Hermon. Of rare beauty, she was chosen by the courtiers (by the physicians, specifies Flavius Josephus, Ant. Jud. VII, 14, 3) to give warmth to the body of the seventy-year-old King David, who received from her, as long as he lived, affectionate care, but left her virginity intact (I Kings 1:1-4). On the death of the pious king, A., the last ornament of his harem, passed into the possession of Solomon, from whom Adonijah (v.), his elder brother and rash competitor, requested her twice in marriage. Solomon saw in the request a political maneuver — the possession, even partial, of the royal harem attested a right to the throne (cf. II Sam. 3:7 ff.; 16:22) — and had Adonijah put to death (I Kings 2:13-25).

Francesco Spadafora

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By Francesco Spadafora

How we know signed in print

Translated from the Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. I (1948), col. 82.

More by Francesco Spadafora: Abiu (Hebrew 'Abihû 'my father is He'; Septuagint: 'Abioû) · Acacia · Ahiah (Hebrew 'Aḇiyyah "Brother of Yahweh"; name of ~20 persons in the Old Testament, translated by the Vulgate as Achias or Ahia [q.v.]; Septuagint: 'Aẓīẓ) · Ahimaaz (Hebrew, prob. «Brother of the Empire») · Achimelech

Cite this article

Chicago

Spadafora, Francesco. “Abisag (Ebr. « Padre di Errore » [?]).” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. I, col. 82. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1948. https://azioneromana.com/article/abisag-ebr-padre-di-errore.

MLA

Spadafora, Francesco. “Abisag (Ebr. « Padre di Errore » [?]).” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. I, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1948, col. 82. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/abisag-ebr-padre-di-errore.

BibTeX

@incollection{ec1_abisag_ebr_padre_di_errore,
  author    = {Spadafora, Francesco},
  title     = {Abisag (Ebr. « Padre di Errore » [?])},
  booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
  volume    = {I},
  pages     = {82},
  note      = {Cited by column},
  publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
  address   = {Città del Vaticano},
  year      = {1948},
  url       = {https://azioneromana.com/article/abisag-ebr-padre-di-errore}
}

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