34.David and Bathsheba

As I mentioned in my post of 12th July, there was not sufficient time during the Torah study breakfast to do full justice to my chosen second literary gem from the Bible. It is one of my favourite stories. And from the 14th century onwards, it inspired many illustrations - which I have collected. They give a very accurate idea of the opinions of the artists - and of the Church - about the Biblical text and its implications. Unfortunately, this blogger is very unfriendly to the inclusion of images. It required much cunning and hard work: the images had to be added in reverse order and it was very difficult to out-smart the rigid layout and text formatting...

Unlike the story of Bileam and his ass, which is a simple straightforward narration, the text of David and Bathsheba and their adultery leaves a great deal to our imagination and interpretation. To begin with, we are not told, that David was already married at least twice: to Michal the daughter of King Saul (although Saul had given her to another man while David was an outlaw fugitive), and to Abigail, the widow of the villain Naval (who had died of a stroke just after David had wished him 'long life and good health').

From his palace in Jerusalem, David watches an attractive woman having a wash:-




These images of Biblical pornography were very popular. The woman is certainly having her wash in public, and especially in full view of David. David is told that the woman is the wife of Uriah, his Hittite mercenary. Her name is Bathsheba = 'daughter of the [marriage] vow'.

We are told that these events took place in the spring, 'when armies go to battle'. That is when the ground has firmed after the mud of the winter rain; and when the farmers have time available to serve their king while they wait for their new crops to grow. David has sent his army to fight against the Ammonites. They are besieging Rabbah in Trans-Jordan, present-day Amman. Uriah the Hittite mercenary is also there. But David has remained in Jerusalem.

What he is watching from the palace is Bathsheba's ritual bathing at the end of her monthly 'uncleanliness'. She had observed the prescribed Biblical ritual. She had waited for seven days after the end of her menstrual flow and then she had washed. This has two implications:
First, if she just had a period, then she is not pregnant. But if her marriage to Uriah had not yet been consummated, then her new husband was exempt by law from military service [Deut. 20:7]. So, why did Uriah abandon his new bride, preferring the male companionship of his colleagues in the army?

And second, Bathsheba was advertising openly - as all the artists show - that she was now available for intercourse, without incurring the Biblical prohibition on sex during menstruation - which was a cardinal sin for both parties. Adultery was a lesser offence.
But why is she already fed up with her new husband? Had she been shocked to discover after the wedding, that Uriah was gay? In that case she was doomed. Homosexuality is 'an abomination', says the Bible. But no punishment is threatened: so all these elegant Anglican clergy are safe. But she would not be able to get rid of Uriah, as only the man could divorce his wife.

























Who says, that the use of reflecting mirrors to enhance the appearance of the photo is a modern invention?




















The three pictures above (two of them by Lucas Cranach), and the next few images, contain a pictorial euphemism: an innocent expression that has a much stronger hidden meaning:-
The woman is shown washing just her feet; but in the Bible 'feet' can be a euphemism for 'genitals' - and after her period, it is of course Bathsheba's genital area that had to be washed.

The same euphemism is also used in the story of Ruth the Moabite. She is advised by her mother in law, Naomi, to wash and perfume herself and to go that night to the sleeping Boaz, the wealthy landowner, to lie 'at his feet'. She is doing in Biblical Canaan, what Monica Levinsky did to Clinton in Washington some 2,000 years later. And the euphemistic 'feet' appear again later in Bathsheba's story - as we shall see.





















As a result of Bathsheba's blatant naked publicity, David summons her 'to view his etchings over a cup of coffee', so to speak - exactly as she had intended.
Rembrandt portrays Bathsheba (modelled by his wife) twice. She is holding the king's letter of invitation, while she is having her 'feet' washed.




































On the left, the ritual wash has turned into a party, watched by David at the back.






On the right, during the washing of 'the feet', Jan Steen adds an old woman - a common personification of lustful evil advice.
In most of the illustrations David is watching the delivery of his message, alone or with his courtiers. Often, he is wearing his crown and holding his attribute, a harp.
























Here, David's invitation is being conveyed to the topless woman.
In Writing on the left, orally by a handsome courtier on the right.


















I have found only one picture of Bathsheba climbing the steps to David's bedchamber. She is shown four times - finally on David's lap.
We have to imagine the rapidity of the actions: She came to him and he lay with her and she returned to her house. - So she consented immediately and it was just a quickie. But it fulfilled her purpose:

And the woman conceived - of course: it had been at the peak of her fertility - exactly mid-cycle. Again, we have to imagine the developments: she missed her period, her breasts enlarged, the area around the nipples darkened, and she was sick in the morning. So she sent and told David 'I'm pregnant'.
But do not expect any dialogue or interrogation: I would have asked, 'are you sure you're pregnant?' And: 'Are you sure that it's mine?' Possibly, the palace staff did investigate her claim to have a bun in the oven.

Instead, David immediately summoned the cuckolded Uriah back to Jerusalem. He questioned him about the army, and the war with the Ammonites. But although David advised him to ' wash his feet ' [genitals again!] and to go home to his wife Bathsheba, and even made him drunk, Uriah refused. I personally believe that he had heard about his wife's adultery from the palace staff, who would have enjoyed embarrassing the foreign mercenary with the juicy gossip.




Uriah stayed in Jerusalem for 3 days. He did not visit his wife. And she did not come to see him either. Perhaps this is another indication that their marriage had broken down. Perhaps Carmel, from the Jerusalem District Conciliation Service, might have been able to mediate?

Now if Uriah refused both available options, either to adopt his wife's pregnancy as his own, or to divorce her, then he knew that he was signing his own death warrant.





Rembrandt portrays Uriah being sent back to the battle. David, Uriah and the old secretary all know exactly what is in the letter that he will hand to his army commander: 'put Uriah in the front row of the battle, and then withdraw and leave him to be killed'.






The two gospel illustrations combine the naked Bathsheba exhibiting herself during her bath and watched by David, with the scene of her husband Uriah receiving the fatal instructions from the king.






















Back at the battle scene, Uriah alone is not wearing armour.




















The expected sequel is a brilliant parable. Nathan the prophet arrived and told David about one of his subjects, a poor man, who looked after a beloved lamb - his only possession.
His wealthy neighbour had guests, but instead of preparing one of his own sheep, he took and slaughtered the poor man's lamb.
David was outraged and blustered about punishment and compensation.
So Nathan told him: 'You are that man'.
And he informed David, that the baby that Bathsheba had conceived would die.
























By then, Bathsheba had been told that Uriah had been killed in the battle.

So after the appropriate period of mourning, she became David's wife, and their next child was Solomon.





An exciting and touching story. I wish I could have written it.