Historica Wiki
Historica Wiki
Advertisement
Uriah the Hittite

Uriah the Hittite (died 1035 BC) was an Israelite warrior and the husband of Bathsheba. In 1035 BC, King David sent Uriah to his death at the Siege of Rabbah in order to take Bathsheba as his own wife.

Biography[]

Uriah the Hittite was born to the Hittite minority community in the land of Canaan, and he converted to Judaism and became an Israelite warrior. He rose to be one of King David's 37 best fighters, having fought side-by-side with him during his years of fleeing the wrath of King Saul; he was rewarded with a home close to David's palace in Jerusalem. Uriah took Bathsheba as his wife, and, in 1035 BC, David lusted after Bathsheba after watching her bathe on her rooftop while Uriah was away at the Siege of Rabbah. After David seduced and impregnated Bathsheba, he called for Uriah to return home and spend time with his wife, hoping to have the child be passed off as Uriah's. However, Uriah refused, as he followed his comrades' code of abstaining from sex before battle. Desperate, David sent Uriah to the front lines to be killed, having Uriah's comrades abandon him in the thick of the fighting. With Uriah dead, David was free to marry Bathsheba.

Advertisement