JESSE

also spelled Isai, in the Old Testament, the father of King David. Jesse was the son of Ohed, and the grandson of Boaz and Ruth. He was a farmer and sheep breeder in Bethlehem. David was the youngest of Jesse's eight sons. The appellation son of Jesse served as a synonym for David both at Saul's court and, subsequently, when David became king. It became a standard poetic metaphor in the Bible. Phrases such as root of Jesse and stump of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1,10) expand the metaphor. All evoke the figure of David. That the family of David would endure forever was an article of faith in monarchic circles (2 Samuel 7), supported by the fact that his dynasty had occupied the throne on Mount Zion in unbroken succession for over four centuries. Because Jesus Christ belonged to one of the family branches descended from King David, it became customary for medieval artists to visually depict Jesus' genealogy as beginning with Jesse in such works as the stained-glass windows known as Jesse windows.