Bathsheba was Queen of the Israelites from 1035 to 1015 BC as the eighth wife of King David. She was previously married to Uriah the Hittite before a jealous David sent Uriah to his death at the Siege of Rabbah, and she gave birth to David's son Solomon in 1034 BC.
Biography[]
Bathsheba bathing on her roof
Bathsheba was the daughter of David's warrior Eliam, and she married her father's comrade Uriah the Hittite, one of David's "Mighty Men". In 1035 BC, while walking along his palace walls, David took notice of Bathsheba bathing on her roof, and David lusted after her, had one of his servants find out her identity, and summoned her to his palace, where he seduced and impregnated her. In an effort to conceal his sin, David recalled Uriah from the Siege of Rabbah and ordered him to return to his wife for some time, but Uriah instead slept in his barracks, as he refused to sleep with his wife while his comrades could not return to theirs. Desperate, David sent Uriah back to the front lines and dispatched him on a suicide mission to widow Bathsheba.
David proceeded to take Bathsheba into his house and marry her, and she gave birth shortly after. The prophet Nathan reproved the King for his sin, and, while David asked for forgiveness which was granted, God struck his newborn son dead after a week. David proceeded to go into the Holiest of Holies and worship God, repenting for his sins, and Bathsheba later gave birth to David's son Solomon. Bathsheba later helped secure Solomon's succession to the throne, though, in 1014 BC, her stepson Adonijah attempted to use her to ask Solomon to let him take Abishag as his wife. Seeing this as an attempt by Adonijah to claim the throne, Solomon had his half-brother executed.
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