This is a biblical commentary on the story of Absaloms rebellion against his father King David as recounted in 2 Samuel 15-18 and has been written primarily for a lay audience. The focus of the discussion is on the narrative poetics of the passages and the author primarily reads the passages as narrative art, rather than for any particular theological reasons. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com) With extraordinary range and literary energy, the story of Absalom’s rebellion in 2 Samuel ranks as the most elaborate and extensively narrated internal political event in the Hebrew Bible, complete with a host of scandalous and sordid events: illicit sex, murder, cover-up, petty crime, to name a few. For many students approaching the historical books of the Bible, however, texts often fail to address the vitality of this most turbulent period of King David’s career. Bodner addresses this shortcoming with his The Rebellion of Absalom, a lively analysis of the early monarchy of Israel, written by a recognized commentator of the Bible’s historical books. Concise and insightful, each chapter incrementally focuses on the stages of David’s rise to power and Absalom’s early life and rebellion. Crucial issues in the development of Israel’s monarchy are embedded in this story, including:royal legitimationdivine electionsuccessionusurpationdivine and human punishment.The Rebellion of Absalom is a student-friendly, culturally savvy approach to one of the most important episodes in deciding how the kings of Israel would be determined throughout the monarchic period.
