Antiquities of the Jews — Book 7, Chapter 9

1. Now Absalom, upon this his success with the king, procured to himself
a great many horses, and many chariots, and that in a little time also.
He had moreover fifty armor-bearers that were about him; and he came
early every day to the king's palace, and spake what was agreeable to
such as came for justice and lost their causes, as if that happened for
want of good counselors about the king, or perhaps because the judges
mistook in that unjust sentence they gave; whereby he gained the good-
will of them all. He told them, that had he but such authority committed
to him, he would distribute justice to them in a most equitable manner.
When he had made himself so popular among the multitude, he thought he
had already the good-will of the people secured to him; but when four
years 16 had passed since his father's reconciliation to him, he came to
him, and besought him to give him leave to go to Hebron, and pay a
sacrifice to God, because he vowed it to him when he fled out of the
country. So when David had granted his request, he went thither, and
great multitudes came running together to him, for he had sent to a
great number so to do.

2. Among them came Ahithophel the Gilonite, a counsellor of David's, and
two hundred men out of Jerusalem itself, who knew not his intentions,
but were sent for as to a sacrifice. So he was appointed king by all of
them, which he obtained by this stratagem. As soon as this news was
brought to David, and he was informed of what he did not expect from his
son, he was affrighted at this his impious and bold undertaking, and
wondered that he was so far from remembering how his offense had been so
lately forgiven him, that he undertook much worse and more wicked
enterprises; first, to deprive him of that kingdom which was given him
of God; and secondly, to take away his own father's life. He therefore
resolved to fly to the parts beyond Jordan: so he called his most
intimate friends together, and communicated to them all that he had
heard of his son's madness. He committed himself to God, to judge
between them about all their actions; and left the care of his royal
palace to his ten concubines, and went away from Jerusalem, being
willingly accompanied by the rest of the multitude, who went hastily
away with him, and particularly by those six hundred armed men, who had
been with him from his first flight in the days of Saul. But he
persuaded Abiathar and Zadok, the high priests, who had determined to go
away with him, as also all the Levites, who were with the ark, to stay
behind, as hoping that God would deliver him without its removal; but he
charged them to let him know privately how all things went on; and he
had their sons, Ahimmaz the son of Zadok, and Jonathan the son of
Abiathar, for faithful ministers in all things; but Ittai the Gitrite
went out with him whether David would let him or not, for he would have
persuaded him to stay, and on that account he appeared the more friendly
to him. But as he was ascending the Mount of Olives barefooted, and all
his company were in tears, it was told him that Ahithophel was with
Absalom, and was of his side. This hearing augmented his grief; and he
besought God earnestly to alienate the mind of Absalom from Ahithophel,
for he was afraid that he should persuade him to follow his pernicious
counsel, for he was a prudent man, and very sharp in seeing what was
advantageous. When David was gotten upon the top of the mountain, he
took a view of the city; and prayed to God with abundance of tears, as
having already lost his kingdom; and here it was that a faithful friend
of his, whose name was Hushai, met him. When David saw him with his
clothes rent, and having ashes all over his head, and in lamentation for
the great change of affairs, he comforted him, and exhorted him to leave
off grieving; nay, at length he besought him to go back to Absalom, and
appear as one of his party, and to fish out the secretest counsels of
his mind, and to contradict the counsels of Ahithophel, for that he
could not do him so much good by being with him as he might by being
with Absalom. So he was prevailed on by David, and left him, and came to
Jerusalem, whither Absalom himself came also a little while afterward.

3. When David was gone a little farther, there met him Ziba, the servant
of Mephibosheth, [whom he had sent to take care of the possessions which
had been given him, as the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul,] with a
couple of asses, loaden with provisions, and desired him to take as much
of them as he and his followers stood in need of. And when the king
asked him where he had left Mephibosheth, he said he had left him in
Jerusalem, expecting to be chosen king in the present confusions, in
remembrance of the benefits Saul had conferred upon them. At this the
king had great indignation, and gave to Ziba all that he had formerly
bestowed on Mephibosheth; for he determined that it was much fitter that
he should have them than the other; at which Ziba greatly rejoiced.

4. When David was at Bahurim, a place so called, there came out a
kinsman of Saul's, whose name was Shimei, and threw stones at him, and
gave him reproachful words; and as his friends stood about the king and
protected him, he persevered still more in his reproaches, and called
him a bloody man, and the author of all sorts of mischief. He bade him
also go out of the land as an impure and accursed wretch; and he thanked
God for depriving him of his kingdom, and causing him to be punished for
what injuries he had done to his master [Saul], and this by the means of
his own son. Now when they were all provoked against him, and angry at
him, and particularly Abishai, who had a mind to kill Shimei, David
restrained his anger. "Let us not," said he, "bring upon ourselves
another fresh misfortune to those we have already, for truly I have not
the least regard nor concern for this dog that raves at me: I submit
myself to God, by whose permission this man treats me in such a wild
manner; nor is it any wonder that I am obliged to undergo these abuses
from him, while I experience the like from an impious son of my own; but
perhaps God will have some commiseration upon us; if it be his will we
shall overcome them." So he went on his way without troubling himself
with Shimei, who ran along the other side of the mountain, and threw out
his abusive language plentifully. But when David was come to Jordan, he
allowed those that were with him to refresh themselves; for they were
weary.

5. But when Absalom, and Ahithophel his counselor, were come to
Jerusalem, with all the people, David's friend, Hushai, came to them;
and when he had worshipped Absalom, he withal wished that his kingdom
might last a long time, and continue for all ages. But when Absalom said
to him, "How comes this, that he who was so intimate a friend of my
father's, and appeared faithful to him in all things, is not with him
now, but hath left him, and is come over to me?" Hushai's answer was
very pertinent and prudent; for he said, "We ought to follow God and the
multitude of the people; while these, therefore, my lord and master, are
with thee, it is fit that I should follow them, for thou hast received
the kingdom from God. I will therefore, if thou believest me to be thy
friend, show the same fidelity and kindness to thee, which thou knowest
I have shown to thy father; nor is there any reason to be in the least
dissatisfied with the present state of affairs, for the kingdom is not
transferred into another, but remains still in the same family, by the
son's receiving it after his father." This speech persuaded Absalom, who
before suspected Hushai. And now he called Ahithophel, and consulted
with him what he ought to do: he persuaded him to go in unto his
father's concubines; for he said that "by this action the people would
believe that thy difference with thy father is irreconcilable, and will
thence fight with great alacrity against thy father, for hitherto they
are afraid of taking up open enmity against him, out of an expectation
that you will be reconciled again." Accordingly, Absalom was prevailed
on by this advice, and commanded his servants to pitch him a tent upon
the top of the royal palace, in the sight of the multitude; and he went
in and lay with his father's concubines. Now this came to pass according
to the prediction of Nathan, when he prophesied and signified to him
that his son would rise up in rebellion against him.

6. And when Absalom had done what he was advised to by Ahithophel, he
desired his advice, in the second place, about the war against his
father. Now Ahithophel only asked him to let him have ten thousand
chosen men, and he promised he would slay his father, and bring the
soldiers back again in safety; and he said that then the kingdom would
be firm to him when David was dead [but not otherwise]. Absalom was
pleased with this advice, and called for Hushai, David's friend [for so
did he style him]; and informing him of the opinion of Ahithophel, he
asked, further, what was his opinion concerning that matter. Now he was
sensible that if Ahithophel's counsel were followed, David would be in
danger of being seized on, and slain; so he attempted to introduce a
contrary opinion, and said, "Thou art not unacquainted, O king, with the
valor of thy father, and of those that are now with him; that he hath
made many wars, and hath always come off with victory, though probably
he now abides in the camp, for he is very skillful in stratagems, and in
foreseeing the deceitful tricks of his enemies; yet will he leave his
own soldiers in the evening, and will either hide himself in some
valley, or will place an ambush at some rock; so that when our army
joins battle with him, his soldiers will retire for a little while, but
will come upon us again, as encouraged by the king's being near them;
and in the mean time your father will show himself suddenly in the time
of the battle, and will infuse courage into his own people when they are
in danger, but bring consternation to thine. Consider, therefore, my
advice, and reason upon it, and if thou canst not but acknowledge it to
be the best, reject the opinion of Ahithophel. Send to the entire
country of the Hebrews, and order them to come and fight with thy
father; and do thou thyself take the army, and be thine own general in
this war, and do not trust its management to another; then expect to
conquer him with ease, when thou overtakest him openly with his few
partisans, but hast thyself many ten thousands, who will be desirous to
demonstrate to thee their diligence and alacrity. And if thy father
shall shut himself up in some city, and bear a siege, we will overthrow
that city with machines of war, and by undermining it." When Hushai had
said this, he obtained his point against Ahithophel, for his opinion was
preferred by Absalom before the other's: however, it was no other than
God 17 who made the counsel of Hushai appear best to the mind of
Absalom.

7. So Hushai made haste to the high priests, Zadok and Abiathar, and
told them the opinion of Ahithophel, and his own, and that the
resolution was taken to follow this latter advice. He therefore bade
them send to David, and tell him of it, and to inform him of the
counsels that had been taken; and to desire him further to pass quickly
over Jordan, lest his son should change his mind, and make haste to
pursue him, and so prevent him, and seize upon him before he be in
safety. Now the high priests had their sons concealed in a proper place
out of the city, that they might carry news to David of what was
transacted. Accordingly, they sent a maid-servant, whom they could
trust, to them, to carry the news of Absalom's counsels, and ordered
them to signify the same to David with all speed. So they made no excuse
nor delay, but taking along with them their fathers' injunctions,
because pious and faithful ministers, and judging that quickness and
suddenness was the best mark of faithful service, they made haste to
meet with David. But certain horsemen saw them when they were two
furlongs from the city, and informed Absalom of them, who immediately
sent some to take them; but when the sons of the high priest perceived
this, they went out of the road, and betook themselves to a certain
village; that village was called Bahurim; there they desired a certain
woman to hide them, and afford them security. Accordingly she let the
young men down by a rope into a well, and laid fleeces of wool over
them; and when those that pursued them came to her, and asked her
whether she saw them, she did not deny that she had seen them, for that
they staid with her some time, but she said they then went their ways;
and she foretold that, however, if they would follow them directly, they
would catch them; but when after a long pursuit they could not catch
them, they came back again; and when the woman saw those men were
returned, and that there was no longer any fear of the young men's being
caught by them, she drew them up by the rope, and bade them go on their
journey accordingly, they used great diligence in the prosecution of
that journey, and came to David, and informed him accurately of all the
counsels of Absalom. So he commanded those that were with him to pass
over Jordan while it was night, and not to delay at all on that account.

8. But Ahithophel, on rejection of his advice, got upon his ass, and
rode away to his own country, Gilon; and, calling his family together,
he told them distinctly what advice he had given Absalom; and since he
had not been persuaded by it, he said he would evidently perish, and
this in no long time, and that David would overcome him, and return to
his kingdom again; so he said it was better that he should take his own
life away with freedom and magnanimity, than expose himself to be
punished by David, in opposition to whom he had acted entirely for
Absalom. When he had discoursed thus to them, he went into the inmost
room of his house, and hanged himself; and thus was the death of
Ahithophel, who was self-condemned; and when his relations had taken him
down from the halter, they took care of his funeral. Now, as for David,
he passed over Jordan, as we have said already, and came to Mahanaim,
every fine and very strong city; and all the chief men of the country
received him with great pleasure, both out of the shame they had that he
should be forced to flee away [from Jerusalem], and out of the respect
they bare him while he was in his former prosperity. These were
Barzillai the Gileadite, and Siphar the ruler among the Ammonites, and
Machir the principal man of Gilead; and these furnished him with
plentiful provisions for himself and his followers, insomuch that they
wanted no beds nor blankets for them, nor loaves of bread, nor wine;
nay, they brought them a great many cattle for slaughter, and afforded
them what furniture they wanted for their refreshment when they were
weary, and for food, with plenty of other necessaries.