David (1030?-965? B.C.) was the second king of Israel and one of the greatest figures in the history of the Jews. He succeeded Saul as king about 1000 B.C. and ruled for approximately 40 years, longer than any other king of ancient Israel.
More chapters of the Bible are devoted to David’s reign than to that of any other monarch. The Bible also tells more about David as a person than about any other king. The prophets declared that a descendant of David would become the Messiah, an ideal king. This king would bring a golden age of peace, justice, and prosperity to Israel. The New Testament traces the ancestry of Jesus Christ back to David.
The Bible portrays David as a great warrior and as a strong, popular leader. It also tells of his talents as a musician and poet. When David was a youth, his lyre playing endeared him to King Saul. Later, David composed one of his most beautiful and sensitive poems as a tribute to Saul and his son Jonathan after they died in battle. According to tradition, David also wrote many of the Psalms in the Bible (see Psalms, Book of).
Early life.
David was born in Bethlehem. His father was a shepherd named Jesse. David was the youngest of eight brothers and spent his early years tending his father’s sheep. He later became a member of King Saul’s court, where he formed a close friendship with Saul’s son Jonathan. At that time, the Philistines were Israel’s main enemy. A famous Bible story tells of young David’s battle with a Philistine warrior named Goliath. Goliath, who stood nearly 10 feet (3 meters) tall, defied the Israelite army to send a champion to fight him. David, armed with only a sling and five stones, volunteered. Confident that he upheld God’s honor, David shot his first stone into Goliath’s forehead, killing the giant. In another version of the story, one of David’s soldiers, Elhanan, killed Goliath.
David’s courage and skill in battle quickly made him a hero among the people of Israel. As his popularity grew, however, Saul became extremely jealous of David and tried to kill him. David fled to the area of Israel where the tribe of Judah lived. There he gathered an army of followers. After Saul was killed in battle against the Philistines, David became king of Judah. David ruled Judah for 71/2 years and then was named king of all Israel.
King of Israel.
During his reign, David established Israel as a major power in western Asia. His troops defeated the Philistines, ending their threat to Israel’s security. David also greatly expanded Israel’s territory through a series of wars against the Ammonites, Moabites, and other neighboring peoples. He formed an alliance with the Phoenicians, who sent badly needed craftworkers and supplies to Israel. 
David was an able ruler and administrator. He united his people and overcame the disunity that had interfered with Saul’s reign. David established his capital in Jerusalem, which was centrally located and acceptable to all Israel’s tribes. He also made Jerusalem the spiritual center of Israel by having the Ark of the Covenant moved to the city. The Ark was the sacred chest that contained the tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments.
During the last years of David’s reign, his sons plotted and struggled among themselves to determine who would succeed him. David’s son Absalom rebelled against him and forced him to flee Jerusalem. David’s troops eventually killed Absalom and regained control of the kingdom. However, David mourned bitterly for his son. According to the Bible, these troubles were punishment for a sin. Years earlier, David had committed adultery with a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. David also had Bathsheba’s husband killed in battle so he could marry her.
David died about 965 B.C. His son Solomon then became king.
