Absalom

Absalom ăbˈsəlŏm [key], in the Bible, son of David. He murdered his half-brother Amnon for the rape of their sister Tamar, and fled. No sooner was he reconciled with his father than he incited a rebellion in which he was killed by Joab and his armor-bearers. David's subsequent lament is recorded in Second Samuel. The form Abishalom is found in First Kings.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Biblical Proper Names: Biographies