Absalom, a son of David, was the comeliest man in Israel. There was no
blemish on him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
Although his father loved him greatly, he conspired to be king in his
father’s stead. He would stand beside the road, and when any one came
and would bow down before him, he embraced him and kissed him, and thus
stole the hearts of the men of Israel from his father. He conspired with
Ahithophel, David’s counsellor, and came with an army against Jerusalem,
and David was forced to flee from his son. Ahithophel’s counsel was to
pursue David immediately; but Hushai, David’s friend, advised Absalom to
wait until he could raise a larger army. The Lord, wishing to bring
destruction upon Absalom, caused Ahithophel’s good advice to be
rejected, and Ahithophel went and hanged himself. David thus gained time
to raise an army. He set Joab over it, and commanded him saying: Deal
gently with the young man! There was a great battle in a forest. Absalom
was compelled to flee, and riding under an oak, his head was caught in
its boughs. The mule on which he rode ran away, and he was left hanging
between heaven and earth. Joab ran and thrust three javelins through his
heart. When David heard of this he wept and lamented: O Absalom, my son,
would I had died for thee! O Absalom, my son, my son!--Some years later
David died and Solomon, the son of Bathsheba, became king. (2 Sam.
15-18; 1 Kings 1-2.)