n.
born Bethlehem, Judah
died 0441; 962 BC, Jerusalem
Second of the Israelite kings (r. 0441; 1000 0441; 962 BC).
David was an aide at the court of Saul until the monarch's jealousy forced him into outlawry. He became king of Israel on Saul's death. He captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it his capital, defeated the Philistine s, and gained control of many bordering kingdoms. He faced several revolts, including one by his third son, Absalom . He unified all Israel into one kingdom and made Jerusalem both the religious and political centre. He made the name Yahweh the supreme name for the god of Israel, who was worshiped in Jerusalem, and ruled that all other names for God were mere titles or attributes of Yahweh. Though the kingdom split under David's son and successor Solomon , religious unity endured, and the house of David symbolized the bond between God and Israel. The word messiah comes from hameshiach , the title of kings of the line of David.