David's Sin according to Josephus

Abstract

2 Samuel n relates the infamous story of David's adultery and murder. This article focusses on Josephus' retelling of the story in his Antiquitates judaicae 7.129b-146. The investigation focusses particularly on three questions: the text-form(s) of 2 Samuel n utilised by Josephus, the rewriting techniques applied by him to the biblical data and the distinctiveness of his version that results from their application, and Josephus' handling of the biblical account in relation to its treatment elsewhere in ancient Jewish tradition.