Only tact and diplomacy were now required to bring about the king's return. Among the tribes of Israel a speedy revulsion of feeling took place, and they repented of their ingratitude to the king who had saved them from their enemies. But Judah still stood aloof ; D. therefore sent to Zadok and Abiatbar, to influence in his behalf the elder.s of his own tribe, and to urge them not to be behind the rest of Israel in bringing back their king. At the same time he sent a special message to Amasa, the son of his sister Abigail, whom Absalom had made commander-in-chief, and swore to give him the office now held by the self-willed Joab. The men of Judah were soon won over ; and when, in re- sponse to their invitation, tlie king returned homewards, the trihe assembled at Gilgal on the Jordan to welcome him. Shimei came with them at the head of a thousand Benjamites, and im- plored D.'s pardon, which was freely granted. In spite of Abishai's remonstrance, D. would not have the day of his triunqih marred by putting any man to death. To Meribaal, however, who also came to meet the king, D. gave less than justice. Meribaal charged Ziba with slandering him, and failing to provide him with an ass to follow D. in his flight ; Ziba had said that his master was wait-
ing in Jerus. in hopes of recovering his grandfather's throne. It was not easy to decide where the truth lay, and D. hastily dismissed the matter by bid- ding the two divide the land. Tlie king appears in a more favourable light when he turns to reward his benefactors. He pressed the aged Bar- zillai, who accompanied him to Jordan, to come and live with liim in Jerus. ; and when Barzillai pleaded to be excused, on the ground of his great age, his son Chimhaui was allowed to take his place and be the recipient of the royal favours. But even before the king reached Jerus. it appeared that he had not succeeded in conciliating Judah without exciting the jealousy of the other tribes. While he had sent special messengers to his own tribesmen, he had taken no notice of the half- expres.sed goodwill of the rest of Israel. When therefore, at Gilgal, half the host of Israel came to escort D. liome, they complained that the men of Judah had stolen him away ; they had been slighted, although they had ten parts in the king, and the rights of the firstborn (2 S 19*' LXX). A sharp disjjute arose between the two sections of the nation, and a Benjamite, Sheba the son of Bichri, gave the signal for a fresh revolt. The men of Israel followed him, renouncing all part in the son of Jesse, while the men of Judah accompanied D. to Jerusalem. It wa-s necessary to take immediate steps against the rebels. D. therefore bade Amasa assemble the forces of Judah within three days, thus tacitly depriving Joab of the supreme com- mand. Amasa delayed beyond the appointed time, and 1). was compelled to have recourse again to his old tried general. Joab (20*' Pesh., MT Abishai) was bidden to take the royal bodyguard, ' the mighty men,' and pursue after Sheba. At Gibeon Amasa met him. It might have been expected how Joab would treat his rival ; he took his oppor- tunity to murder him, and then, with his troops, hastened to Abel-beth-maacah, a town in the far north of the country, where Sheba had taken refuge. To save the town the inhabitants delivered up Slieba's head, and the rebellion was at an end (10'-20"). From 2 S 24i' we may perhaps infer with Ewald that Absalom's rebellion lasted for three months.
Some years must have elapsed before the closing scene of D.'s life. The old warrior, who at the time of Absalom's rebellion was never without resource, and had to be kept back by his soldiers from the battle, is now seen in the feebleness of extreme old age, kept within the palace, where no clothing will supply warmth to his bodily frame, and he is nursed by a fair young damsel of Shunem, named Abishag. He had neglected to make any definite arrangements with regard to the succession to the throne, but his eldest surviving son was generally regarded as the heir. This was ^Vdoiiijah, a young man of great beauty, who had always been indulged by liis fond father. Like Absalom before him, he assumed the state appropriate to the heir-apparent. On his side were most of D.'s older supporters, including Joab and Abiathar, but another party in the palace favoured Solomon, the son of D.'s favourite wife, Bathsheba. To the latter belonged the prophet Nathan, who perhaps felt that Adonijah was not the tittest man to rule, Zadok, the younger and probably rival ))riest, and Benaiah the captain of the bodyguard. An obvious danger awaited the unsuccessful aspirant to the throne after D.'s death (cf. 1 K 1-'). and Adonijah resolved to make in good time a public declaration of his claims. He invited his supporters, including the king's sons and the royal othcers of the tribe of Judah, to a feast at the .sacred stone of Zoheleth, at the lower end of the Kidrou Valley, and here the guests are said to have greeted Adonijah as already king. But tidings of this step were brought by