ABSALOM (Hebr. 'Abšalôm “the father is peace”). — David’s third-born son, endowed with natural attractions but possessed of unbridled ambition. Eager to rise above others, he seized upon the rape Amnon (v.), to kill the first-born Amnon two years later. From Gessur, where he had taken refuge with his maternal grandfather Tholomai (Talmaj), he secured David’s forgiveness through a wise woman from Tecua and, after remaining two years in Jerusalem, with the interested support of Joab, was able to regain his father’s friendship and gain entry, long awaited, to the royal palace.
Once the obstacles had been removed, he prepared his ascent to the throne with cunning and perseverance, exploiting the sympathy won for him both by his beauty (admirers paid out 200 shekels to possess his magnificent hair, cut once a year) and by the affability with which he received even common people who came to him, giving his support to those who sought justice from the king and lamenting the scant likelihood of their receiving a favorable welcome at court. After four years he proclaimed himself king at Hebron, rebelling against his father, who, seeing little possibility of resistance with the few troops remaining loyal, withdrew to Transjordan. If A.’s public entrance to the concubines left behind by his father now convinced the people that reconciliation was impossible, his refusal to pursue immediately (v. ACHITOFEL) the small fleeing forces marked the beginning of A.’s collapse
When he came face to face with the Davidic army, reinforced by Transjordanian troops and reorganized into three corps commanded by Joab, Abisai, and the Gittite Ethai, A.’s troops, led by Amasa, were routed near Mahanaim in Galaad. In the headlong flight through the surrounding forest of Efraim, the rebellious son passed among the excessively low branches of a terebinth, where his head—not merely his hair—became caught, while his mount continued on its course. There Joab killed him, against David’s prohibition, with three arrows; he was then finished off by his servants with spear thrusts and buried, like criminals, beneath a heap of stones, while during his lifetime he had erected a funerary monument for himself in the Valley of the King. David mourned him for a long time (II Sam. 13–18). Today, in the Valley of the Cedron, a strange monument of uncertain date is pointed out as the “tomb of Absalom”; in the time of Flavius Josephus, a marble stele two stadia from Jerusalem was shown as A.’s tomb (Antiq. Ind. VII, 10, 3).