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Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Bathsheba

The story of Bathsheba is one of the famous stories in the old testament. The biblical story is set about more than 3,000 years ago. She was Eliam’s daughter and it is believed that she was born into a noble family. She comes into the limelight after David saw her bathing in a pond that was close to the palace and coveted her even though she was someone else’s wife.

Therefore, this article will provide ten fascinating facts about the woman whose story is among the well-known ones in the bible.

1. She was raped by David and then sent home

While bathing in a pool, King David saw Bathsheba and wanted her. He asked about her and found out that she was married but still sent for her. He raped her and sent her back home. This text shows how those in power use their authority to abuse those who are powerless as they cannot do anything about it.

2. Her husband was killed

After committing adultery and realizing that Bathsheba was with child, David ordered Uriah who was Bathsheba’s husband and a captain in the army so that he may lay with his wife and think that the child was his. However, Uriah refused as it was against the law to engage in intimacy while in active military duty. He declined the offer and chose to stay with his troop.

On realizing that Uriah would not be swayed, King David ordered for him to be placed on the frontlines where there were high chances that he would die. When news reached Bathsheba that her husband had died, she mourned deeply.

3. Her first born died as punishment

After committing adultery with David, Bathsheba became pregnant but lost the baby. This was after she had heard that her husband Uriah had been killed in the war. This means that she felt the impact of grief twice as she was mourning the death of her husband, and her baby died. The deaths occurred within a short time frame to means that Bathsheba understood what grief meant.

4. She was the mother of King Solomon

She is famous in the biblical context for being the mother of King Solomon. After getting married to David post-adultery, God blessed her and she gave birth for the second time. She named her child Solomon. God saw fit to extend his love towards Solomon as he later crowned him to be king and also bestowed him with wisdom and a lot of riches.

5. She experienced the impact of sin

Bathsheba experience sin’s far-reaching impact in that she was minding her own business when David saw her and coveted her. David chose to remain home and send Joab and his servants instead of going to war as it was the norm for most kings during that time. Therefore, by refusing to go and do his duty and staying home, his eyes fell on a view that led him to sin. However, Bathsheba was the one who felt the impact of the sin greatly as she lost a husband and a baby.

6. She pressed King David to keep his promise

Bathsheba was instrumental in making Solomon the next king of Israel after David. This is because she constantly pressed David to remember the promise that he made to God which was that Solomon would reign after him. This instance shows that Bathsheba was brave as she did not fear the wrath of David and pursued what she wanted until she go it. This is an interesting fact as it prompts people in contemporary society to go after what they want and not give up.

7. She was surrounded by men whose weakness was women

Bathsheba was surrounded by men who held weaknesses for women in that David was weak and committed adultery with her. However, the weakness did not end there in that it went to the next generation which was Bathsheba’s son, King Solomon. Solomon has great wisdom bestowed to him by God but he seemed to have tossed it aside when it came to women. He had seven hundred wives that were of noble origins that God did not want Israel to associate themselves with.

8. She is a source of hope to Christians

Most people believe that Christians are perfect and without fault but the story of Bathsheba shows that even people close to God can stray and sin. Therefore, looking at how God forgave David and Bathsheba after committing murder and adultery gives Christians hope that even someone who has sinned greatly has hope of redemption. God was able to forgive David and Bathsheba and even blessed them with King Solomon who was the most iconic leader in biblical history.

9. She is one of the few women whose nude portraits are justified by Christian art

Bathsheba is the only woman besides Eve whose nude portraits were justified in Christian art. She is considered to be one of the most significant personalities in medieval nude art. Some of the notable portraits that show Bathsheba include a painting by Rembrandt called Bathsheba at Her Bath. The painting is located at the Louvre.

Another one is Bathsheba at her Bath which was done by Veronese in 1575. The painting is located in Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon in France. Another painting of the same title by Ricci was done in the 1720s. It is located at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest.

10. She has been depicted in different movies

The woman has been the subject of various literary works over the centuries. In 1588, George Peele made a play known as David and Bethsabe that was similar to the story of the biblical David and Bathsheba. In 1893 the Sherlock Holmes: Adventure of the Crooked Man also used the story as its main plot.

Additionally, Susan Hayward did a movie named David and Bathsheba in 1951. Other several films tell the story of King David where Bathsheba was featured.