c. The closing period of David's life, with the ex- ception of one great calamity, may be considered as a gradual preparation for the reign of his successor. This calamity was the three days' pestilence which visited Jerusalem at the warning of the prophet Gad (see Blessig, De cenm Dav, pesteque hunc secufa^ Ar- gent. 1788; Becker, Quare Defu Davidem pestilenHa puTdveritf Rost. 1767). The occasion which led to this warning was the census of the people taken by Joab at the king's orders (2 Sam. xxiv. 1-9 ; 1 Chron. xxi, 1-7, xxvii, 28, 24) ; an attempt not unnaturally sug- gested by the increase of his power, but implying a confidence and pride alien to the spirit inculcated on the kings of the chosen people. Joab's repugnance to the measure was such that he refused altogether to number Levi and Benjamin (1 Chron. xxi, 6). The king also scrupled to number those who were under twenty years of age (1 Chron. xxvii, 23), and the final result was never recorded in the " Chronicles of King David" (1 Chron. xxvii, 24). The plague, however, and its cessation were commemorated down to the latest times of the Jewish nation. Probably Psalms XXX and cxxxi have reference to this time. But a more certain memorial was preserved on the exact spot which witnessed the close of the pestilence, or, as it was called, " The Death." Outside the walls of Je- rusalem, Araunah or Oman, a wealthy Jebusite — ^per- haps even a descendant of the ancient king of Jebus (2 Sam. xxiv, 23) — possessed a threshing-fioor; there he and his sons were engaged in threshing the com gath- ered in firom the harvest (1 Chron. xxi, 20). At this spot an awfiil vision appeared, such as is described in
the later days of Jerusalem, of tbe Angel afOi stretching out a drawn sword between tufkat over the devoted city. The scene of nch a tion at such a moment was at once maiked att sanctuary. David demanded, and Araunah granted, the site ; the altar was erected on tbt the threshing-fioor ; the place was called bjr tb of" Moriah" (2 Chron. iii, 1); and for the finitei holy place, sanctified by a vision of the IKw p ence, was recognised in Jeraaalem. It was tla f which afterwards became the altar of the Te^.i therefore the centxe of the natioiia] worship, v^i slight intermption, for more than 1(M)0 yean, uiu even contended that the same spot is the roi^iiSb guarded with almost idolatrous veneration, in tk » tre of the Mussulman " Dome of the Bock" {tuH Willis in Williams's Holy City, u).
The selection of the site of this altar pfrobiU^^ vived the schemes of the king for the beildB; it permanent edifice to receive the ark, wfakhftS» mained inside his own palace in its tem Such schemes, we are told, he had entertaiaed dr the capture of Jemsalem, or at tbe end ofUiTa Two reasons were given fbr their delay: eat,^^ ancient nomadic form of worship was not yet tt b abandoned (2 Sam. vii, 6) ; the other, that diri* wars unfitted him to be the founder of a seat of IMS' ful worship (1 Chron. xxii, 8). But a ackma «» ance was given that his dynas^ should oontine "k ever" to prosecute the work (2 Sam. vii, 18; 1 Dm xxii, 9, 10). Such a founder, and the ancestor ef<iri a dynasty, was Solomon to be, and to him. tiiefrfie. the stores and the plans of the future Temple (aoc^i- ing to 1 Chron. xxii, 2-19 ; xxviii, 1-xxix, ») wi committed.
d. The last commotion recorded took place v^ David's end seemed nigh, and Adongah, oatd^ elder sons, feared that the inflnence of Batifir^ might gain the kingdom for her own eoe Soka*^ B.C. 1016. Adonyah's conspiracy was joroed br A* athor, one of the two chief priests, and by tbe nW- ed Joab ; upon which David took the dedsire w«2 of raising Solomon at once to the throne. (Xtn young monarchs, the younger and the less knows «■ easily preferred, when the sanction of tbe enst^ government was thrown into his scale ; and tin «■' of Adonijah immediately fell to the ground. It^ Nathan, Benaiah, Shimei, and Rei remaining fina, ^ plot was stified, and Solomon's inauguratJantookphet under his father's auspices (1 EUngs i, 1-6S). Set Ac* NijAH. Amnes^ was proclaimed to the oaapi^ and was faithfully observed by Solomon till a bttr ^ elation of its terms. See SoLOMOir.
4. By this time David's infirmities Iiad grovo ef« him. The warmth of his exhausted fhone vh ^ tempted to be restored by the introdnctkm oft y^ Shunamite, of the name of Abisliag (q. v.), me^xat^ apparently for the sake of an incident which gr^^ in connection with her out of the later events (1 ^ i, 1 ; ii, 17). His last song is preserved (see Pfc*»- ErJdar, der sogenanntm lebtten WorU Datift, Alt^ 1774 ; De Baer, fn ultima verba IkwidUy in tbC;^ Hag, ii, 489-504; Trendelenburg, In ser&i •«**• Bavidu, Getting. 1779)— a striking union of the*** of a just ruler which he had placed belbre him, isdm the difllculties which he had fielt hi realizfaigit(290- xxiii, 1-7). His last words, as recorded, to hi* ** cesser are general exhortations to his 8uty, om^ with warnings against Joab and Shimei, and ehsrgcsv remember the children of Barzillai (1 Kings iii 1'^