The Stars of David

When man believed that happiness was dependent upon God, he killed for religious reasons.
When man believed that happiness was dependant upon the form of government, he killed for political reasons.-Adolfo Bioy Casares

Introduction

It is commonly understood by historians that history is written by the victors. The history books are dominated with names like Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Napoleon, Peter the Great, Churchill, George Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt. These were people with giant size egos.

Nation building is something like a business. Business leaders count success by market share, profits and growth. National leaders count success by popular support, revenue and dominance. This same model applies to religion and sports as well. It reflects on the celebrity level because we support it on a personal level. We want to be liked and we want to be rich and influential, if not personally then vicariously.

There is mostly a positive side to our competitive nature, but that is another topic. The subject at hand is the negative side.

I have come to see human nature as something like piranha fish. Individually, piranhas are harmless. But in schools, their collective needs are dangerous to other species. Individually, we are moral creatures. But applied to aliens, personal morals turn indifferent and sometimes hostile to those different from us, even when they are not opposing us.

In sum, there is something in the human psyche that has a need to dominate, if not to dominate personally, at least to be associated with the winning side. We are at our worst, when we unite behind the most powerful god and the strongest nation. Even if it means living a lie, this need for gratification is stronger than the desire for truth and respect for moral principles.

For these reasons, to Jews, David is second to Moses as the greatest among Jewish leaders. He was renowned as the man who conquered the rest of the Promised Land and established a glorious empire that had been promised to Abraham.

I'm not writing to condemn Jews per se. This is a case example that applies to the United States, German, France, Spain, Japan and other empires whose rise can be traced to their military conquests. And whose fall was inevitable because their leaders were corrupt and the masses didn't care as long as they were winning.

Historicity

As much as Israel is one of the most archeologically researched nations in the world, very little of what is in the Bible can be confirmed. The only evidence of the existence of David comes by way of two separate inscriptions of a Davidic dynasty; nothing can be found about David personally. There is much to doubt.

I'm quoting the findings of "The Bible Unearthed" by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman.

"For all their reported wealth and power, neither David nor Solomon is mentioned in a single known Egyptian or Mesopotamian text. And the archaeological evidence in Jerusalem for the famous building projects of Solomon is nonexistent.

"The most optimistic assessment of this negative evidence is that tenth century Jerusalem was rather limited in extent, perhaps not more than a typical hill country village.

"In fact, it is highly unlikely that this sparsely inhabited region of Judah and the small village of Jerusalem could have become the center of a great empire stretching from the Red Sea in the south to Syria in the north.

"There is absolutely no archaeological indication of the wealth, manpower, and level of organization that is required to support large armies-even for brief periods-in the field.

"There is hardly a reason to doubt the historicity of David and Solomon. Yet there are plenty of reasons to question the extent and splendor of their realm.

"Archeologically we can say no more about David and Solomon except that they existed-and that their legend endured.

"There is no compelling archaeological evidence for the historical evidence of a vast united monarchy, centered in the land of Jerusalem that encompassed the entire land of Israel.

The Legend

So what are we left with? There is nothing outside the Bible that tells us about David. There is no evidence of a united Jewish kingdom. No evidence that Jews dominated anybody outside their borders. Even so, the Jewish people continue to believe that theirs was a great kingdom, because of David. The proof can be found in the turmoil in Israel today, where Zionist supporters are at war to restore the glory days that never existed.

The legend of David starts when this shepherd boy was chosen by the prophet Samuel to become the next king of Israel to succeed Saul. David's notoriety began when he killed the giant Goliath with a slingshot. When Saul gave him command of an army, David's overwhelming victories made Saul jealous. Saul's jealousy grew to such a rage, that David had to flee for his life.

When Saul died in battle he was replaced by two kings, David over Judah and Ishbosheth over Israel. David started a civil war and eventually became king over both kingdoms until his death forty years later.

His people glorified him because of his military conquests. Some of his victims were castrated, sawed in half, chopped with axes and burned in ovens. He was a traitor against his own people, a bandit, a homosexual, an adulterer, liar, extortionist, betrayer, exhibitionist and murderer. When he broke God's law, even God didn't care.

Astrology

Typical of other biblical legendary heroes, the life of David was written according to the motifs of the Zodiac. As said before, there is only indirect evidence of an historical David. His exploits reflect more on the character of those who wrote about him and of those who believe in him, than of his personal character.

For some reason, he doesn't get the full twelve zodiac house treatment of a sun god like Moses and Jesus. It could be because there was such a human.

Aries the Ram/Lamb

Aries starts with the spring or vernal equinox, when days and nights are equal. It is the time of year when lambs are born. As the days get longer, the sun is seen as conquering darkness.

Our tale picks up when God and the prophet Samuel decide that Saul is not fit to be king of the Hebrews. God tells Samuel to go to Jesse to find a successor. Of Jesse's seven sons, Samuel decides on David and anoints him to succeed Saul as king. All that is left is for Saul to die. (1 Sam. 15:35-16:13)

David the shepherder

What could be more fitting to start in the house of Aries than for our hero to be a sheepherder?

¹¹And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he comes here." (1 Sam. 16:11)

David and Goliath

In the house of Aries is the constellation Perseus which shows the image of a man with a sword in one hand and a decapitated head in the other. The popular telling of David's triumph leaves out a gory detail. (1 Sam. 17:1-54)

The Philistine Goliath was said to be about ten feet tall. He had a bronze helmet, a coat of mail that weighed almost a hundred pounds. He had armor on his legs and a shield. His spear weighed eleven pounds.

When the Philistines and the Israelites were first assembled at their lines ready for battle, Goliath went to the front and challenged the Israelites to choose one to fight him in battle. The winning side will be the master, and the losing side the servant.

For forty days the giant came forth and issued his challenge, but none of the Israelites had the nerve to take him on.

Because of his youth, David was not a soldier. On the fortieth day, when David was bringing some food to his brothers and the soldiers, he heard Goliath's challenge. When David went to Saul to volunteer, Saul was understandably skeptical. But David convinced him that his experience at killing lions when they invade his flock, qualified him; Goliath is no different. Saul was persuaded.

On the day of battle, Saul wanted to put his armor on David, but he refused; he wasn't used to it. All he needed was his pouch with five smooth stones and his slingshot. As he and Goliath drew closer, David took out a stone and slung it, striking the Philistine in the head. The giant fell flat face on the ground and died.

Afterward, David took out Goliath's sword and cut his head off. Afterwards, the Hebrews chased the Philistines, killing many and plundered their camp. David took Goliath's head back to Jerusalem and put his armor on his tent.

⁵¹Then David ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. (1 Sam. 17:51)

Taurus the Bull

Bulls are needed for plowing and tilling the fields. Bulls pull, so in the same sense, it is a time of pulling away.

Spears

David's victory over Goliath won favor with Saul, and an army to command. As David kept winning battle after battle, he soon became more popular than Saul. When it got to the point where David was credited with killing tens of thousands of Philistines, while Saul got credit for killing thousands, an evil spirit came over him. One day, David had to elude two spears that Saul threw at him.

¹¹and Saul cast the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice. (1 Sam. 18:11)

In the house of Taurus, David is symbolized by Auriga, the Charioteer which lies above the horns of the bull. Auriga has a whip in one arm and a goat in the other. The two bull horns symbolize the two spears Saul threw at David.

Michal

Saul tried to get David killed in battle by demoting him to march out in front of a command of a thousand men, but David continued to rack up successes. Saul tried to get David to take more risks by offering his daughter, Merab in marriage. When David continued to be successful, Saul married off his daughter to someone else. Saul teased David again with his second daughter, Michal. This time he wanted a hundred Philistine foreskins as a marriage present. David complied by bringing back two hundred foreskins. David got his wife and Saul was more afraid of David than ever before. (1 Sam. 18:12-30)

Gemini the Twins

Gemini begins a time of increasing or doubling as the sun reaches its zenith. It ends on the Summer solstice when days are the longest and nights the shortest. The sun is at the peak of its strength. Allegorically, the sun is at the top of the mountain.

We turn our attention now to the Gemini twins that represents David and Jonathan and their homosexual love affair. The Bible is not explicit with the details, but there if enough to tell the tale.

For Jonathan, it was love at first sight.

¹When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. (1 Sam. 18:1)

When they first met in private, Jonathan stripped himself naked in front of David.

³Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul.
⁴And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his girdle. (1 Sam. 18:3-4)

Jonathan's father, Saul, was angry at his son for shaming his mother's nakedness.

³⁰Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? (1 Sam. 20:30)

Next to a stone heap, they were lying on the ground kissing. In biblespeak, stone heaps are usually phallic symbols.

⁴¹And as soon as the lad had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed [prostrate] three times; and they kissed one another, and wept with one another, until David recovered himself. (1 Sam. 20:41-42)

At a later time, David was distressed at Jonathan's death. His love was wonderful, better than the love of a woman.

²⁶I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. (2 Sam. 1:26)

Cancer the Crab

The sun has crossed a major divide; darkness starts to increase. Crabs walk in a zigzag path, sideways and backwards in a kind of a backsliding movement. This is a time for assessment and division.

Saul's threats on David's life grew so intense that David had to flee. As the sun descends from the height of its solstice, so does David's character.

Jeopardy

1. When David came upon Ahimelech the priest at Nob, he told the priest that he was on a mission from Saul to meet some holy men. His lie convinced the priest to give David some holy bread and Goliath's sword. (1 Sam. 21:1-10)

When Saul heard about the favor Ahimelech did for David, he saw it as conspiracy. Ahimelech said he didn't know David was an outlaw and that he was still a loyal servant. Saul was unmoved; so he had Ahimelech and eighty-four killed. Among them were men, women, infants, children and livestock. (1 Sam. 22:9-19)

One of Ahimelech's sons escaped. To which David admitted he knew he was putting everybody at risk, because he saw one of Saul's confederates, Doeg the Edomite, watching him.

²²And David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house. (1 Sam. 22:22)

Extortion

There was a rich man named Nabal who had a wife, Abigail. She was as beautiful as he was mean. When David heard of him, he sent ten men to plead for food; Nabal refused. David wanted to kill Nabal, but his wife intervened by offering the needed provisions without her husband's knowledge. David promised to spare Nabal, but God killed him ten days later.

³⁷And in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
³⁸And about ten days later the LORD smote Nabal; and he died. (1 Sam. 25:37)

David was grateful for Nabal's death because he was insulted. He took the beautiful Abigail for his wife.

³⁹When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil; the LORD has returned the evil-doing of Nabal upon his own head." Then David sent and wooed Abigail, to make her his wife. (2 Sam. 25:37)

It is likely this was the Bible's way of saying David killed Nabal for his wife?

Betrayal

David tried to hide in the Philistine kingdom of Gath. When King Achish learned David was his enemy, David acted crazy, like he had lost his mind. The king let him go. (1 Sam. 21:10-15)

At a later time, David returned to the Philistines in Gath, with 600 men and two wives. This time King Achish took a liking to David and gave him the town of Ziklag to live in. David returned the favor by killing and plundering the kings friends and relatives. When Achish asked him who he was raiding, David would give the names of towns in southern Palestine. Achish got to trust David to the point where he appointed David as his personal bodyguard. (1 Sam. 27)

⁹And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, but took away the sheep, the oxen, the asses, the camels, and the garments, and came back to Achish. (1 Sam. 27:9)

Traitor

David was ready to join Achish with the Philistines in battle against the Israelites until the other commanders rejected him, despite Ashish's voucher. (1 Sam. 29)

Payback

When David returned to Ziklag, his home in the Philistines, he found it burned down and all his people taken captive by the Amalekites; no one was killed. David retaliated by killing all the Amalekites, except for four hundred escapees. (1 Sam. 30)

¹⁷And David smote them from twilight until the evening of the next day; and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled.
¹⁸David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken; and David rescued his two wives.
¹⁹Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken; David brought back all.
²⁰David also captured all the flocks and herds; and the people drove those cattle before him, and said, "This is David's spoil." (1 Sam. 30:17-20)

Saul dies

The house of Cancer ends with Saul's death. In a battle with the Philistines, Saul was mortality wounded by an arrow. To avoid the disgrace of being finished off by the Philistines, Saul fell on his sword. (1 Sam. 31)

⁴Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and make sport of me." But his armor-bearer would not; for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword, and fell upon it. (2 Sam. 31:4)

Leo the Lion

The sun is still hot; this is a time of strength when the sun goes to the end of the growing season. At the end of the growing season, food is plentiful, and seeds have to be stored for the next season. The lion is king of beasts.

Kill the messenger

Expecting favorable treatment, an Amalekite came to David to report on Saul and Jonathan's death. Instead, David accused him of killing Saul and had him killed.

¹⁵Then David called one of the young men and said, "Go, fall upon him." And he smote him so that he died.
¹⁶And David said to him, "Your blood be upon your head; for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have slain the LORD'S anointed.'" (2 Sam. 1:15-16)

Civil War

David was anointed king over the tribe of Judah, and Saul's son, Ishbosheth was made king of Israel. Out of self defense, Ishbosheth's commander, Abner, killed Asahel, one of David's men. David used the incident to start a war against the people of Israel. (2 Sam. 2:1-3:1)

²³But he refused to turn aside; therefore Abner smote him in the belly with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back; and he fell there, and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still. (2 Sam. 2:23)

Over an argument with king Ishbosheth, Abner defected to David's side where Asahel's avenged his brother's death by killing Abner. (2 Sam. 3:2-4:2)

²⁷And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he smote him in the belly, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. (2 Sam. 3:27)

Two of Israel's captains killed their king Ishbosheth in his bed and cut his head off.

⁷When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him. They took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night, (2 Sam. 4:7)

They expected David to be grateful, but instead David had them killed and had their hands and feet put on display.

¹²And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron. (2. Sam. 4:12)

With the death of Ishbosheth, the kingdom of Israel decided to accept David as their king.

¹Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, "Behold, we are your bone and flesh. (2 Sam. 5:1)

Losing badly and without a king, Israel had no choice but to accept defeat and unite behind David.

¹There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker. (2 Sam. 3:1)

Dancing in the Street

David had the ark of God, the one that Moses had constructed to contain the Ten Commandments, to be brought to Jerusalem. When the ark began to slide off of its cart and Uzzah reached out to prevent its fall, God struck him dead. (2 Sam. 6:1-7)

⁶And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.
⁷And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there because he put forth his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God. (2 Sam. 6:6)

From that incident, David was afraid to take the Ark home with him, so he left it at the home of Obededom for three months. When David noticed that Obededom was blessed and prospered for having the Ark at his home, he decided to bring it back home with much celebration. (2 Sam. 6:8-19)

When David returned home, his wife, Michal, scolded him for dancing shamelessly nude in front of other women.

²⁰And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' maids, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!" (2 Sam. 6:20)

From this single incident, David cut her off sexually for the rest of her life.

²²I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor."
²³And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death. (2 Sam. 6:22-23)

War

God gave his lion king victory wherever he went. David's forces subdued the Philistines in the west and the Moabites in the east. In the north, he took Zobah and Damascus. The death toll was over 60,000 enemies. (2 Sam. 8)

Mosaic Law was clearly against taking slaves.

²and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them; then you must utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, and show no mercy to them. (Deut. 7:2)

Despite this, David made slaves out of his enemies.

²And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute. (2 Sam. 8:2)

Revisionism

Often times I find differences in Bible versions that are too corrupt to ignore. The older versions are more honest than the contemporary versions. Case in point: The old versions report that David had these people sawed up, driven over by chariots, cut up with knives and made to pass through brick ovens. The newer versions say he put them in slavery.

The 1899 Douay-Rheims is the most explicit. Its lineage comes directly from the Catholic Latin Vulgate Bible.

³¹And bringing forth the people thereof he sawed them, and drove over them chariots armed with iron: and divided them with knives, and made them pass through brick kilns; so did he to all the cities of the children of Ammon: and David returned, with all the army to Jerusalem. (2 Kings/Samuel 12:31) Douay-Rheims Version)

The 1611 King James and the 1897 American Standard is less explicit, but they make the point.

³¹And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick kiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. (2 Sam. 12:31 KJV)

Every modern version says David put them at labor with saws, axes and made them work in brick kilns. This is not scholarship, this is whitewashing.

³¹And he brought forth the people who were in it, and set them [to labor] with saws and iron picks and iron axes, and made them toil [pass] at the brick kilns; and thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. (2 Sam. 12:31)

As a check, Strong's dictionary and concordance is useful. What the revisionists did was to add "labor" and change "pass" to "toil". David's crimes were so horrendous that the revisionists felt compelled to cover it up.

Virgo the Virgin

Virgo is depicted as a woman with grain stalks in her hand. This is when the harvest is milled into flour. As the sun descends to the equator, troubles start to emerge. The subject changes to female problems.

Adultery and murder

One afternoon from his rooftop in Jerusalem, David saw a beautiful woman bathing. He learned that her name was Batsheba, the wife of Uriah, a Hittite soldier in his army. Unable to contain his lust, David had her brought to him. (2 Sam. 11:1-5

⁴So David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her. (2 Sam. 11:4)

To mask his lechery and her pregnancy, David had Uriah assigned to the forefront of the battle lines where he was be sure to be killed. After her mourning, David married her. The son she bore was to be named Solomon. (2 Sam. 11:6-27)

Mosaic Law forbade taking aliens as wives.

³You shall not make marriages with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons. (Deut. 7:3)

What this means for Christians who believe Jesus was a descendant of David through Solomon (Matt. 1:6), is that Jesus was not a full blooded Jew. More so, Jesus' ancestry was born out of an illegal and adulterous affair.

Rape

This story did not involve David directly, but it shows his callous attitude. It is stories like this that would upset Christian censors if it was told in a different setting.

David's son Amnon fell in love with his sister Tamar. To get his sister alone in private, Amnon pretended to be sick. When she came to nurse him, he raped her. When she told David and her brother Absalom, David was angry but did nothing; Absalom vowed revenge. Two years later, Absalom invited Amnon to a festivity. When he got drunk, Absalom had him killed. Either out of anger or fearing retaliation, Absalom exiled himself for three years. David was more upset by Absalom's self enforced exile than he was by the loss of Amnon. (2 Sam. 13)

³⁸So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.
³⁹And the spirit of the king longed to go forth to Absalom; for he was comforted about Amnon, seeing he was dead. (2 Sam. 13:38-39)

Libra the Balance

The balance symbolizes the fall equinox when days and nights are equal. It is a time for settling debts, getting organized and weighing the good against the bad.

Absalom's Coup

After two years, Absalom arranged a meeting with David and offered himself for punishment. Instead, David kissed him affectionately. They settled their differences, or so David had thought. (2 Sam.14:24-33)

For four years hence, Absalom turned politician, shaking hands and making promises to get popular. At Hebron where David was crowned, he had himself declared king of Hebron. The plan worked. His following grew to such strength that David fled Jerusalem to avoid disaster, leaving ten concubines behind. To embarrass his father, Absalom had his way with the concubine. (2 Sam. 15:1-16:22)

²²So they pitched a tent for Absalom upon the roof; and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel. (2 Sam. 16:22)

Finally, their forces met in battle. Absalom lost 20,000 men in the field and many more in the countryside. Absalom was found hanging from a tree by his hair. David's commander, Joab, impaled him with three spears. (2 Sam. 17:24-18:33)

David put his ten concubines under house guard for the rest of their lives, and had nothing to do with them.

³And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house, and put them in a house under guard, and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood. (2 Sam. 20:3)

Sheba's Schism

A Benjaminite named Sheba lead the people of Israel away from David; the people of Judah stayed loyal to David. To break the rebellion, David sent his soldiers, led by Joab, to capture the city where Sheba and his followers were hiding. To get at them, Joab's forces were about to break down the city wall.

Then a woman came to Joab with a plan. If he would not break down the wall, she would have his head delivered. When she went back to the people to tell them her plan, they cut off Sheba's head and threw it over the wall. The rebellion came to an end. (2 Sam. 20)

²²Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king. (2 Sam. 20:22)

Human Sacrifice

There was a famine in the land that lasted three years. When David inquired, God told him there was bloodguilt on Saul and his house for killing Gibeonites. (They were supposed to be under protection since the days of Joshua, but Saul tried to wipe them out.) So David went to the king of the Gibeonites to ask how to make amends. The king suggested that David give them seven of Saul's sons for retribution. David turned them over and they were impaled on the mountain of God, at the beginning of barley harvest. This sacrifice was supposed to end the famine. (2 Sam. 21:1-14)

Scorpio the Scorpion

The sun is getting weaker and the air is cold, remindful of a scorpion's sting. Scorpions are seen as crawling creatures who frequent cracks, holes and other secluded spots, so they are associated with acts of secrecy and evil. This is a time of argument and conflict.

David's plague

God was angry at the people of Israel for some unspecified reason. So he told David to take a census. After nine months, Joab reported 800,000 soldiers from Israel and 500,000 soldiers fro Judah. To put this outrageous number in perspective, estimates of the size of the Roman Empire's army at the height of power, exceed 600,000 solders.

⁹And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand. (2 Sam. 24:9)

For reasons we will never know, after the census, David realized he sinned by ordering the census. The word of God came to the prophet Gad. David had three choices: three months of famine; three months of being pursued by foes; or three days of pestilence throughout the land.

Now David had a strong sense of self preservation. It was better for the people to die for his mistake, than for him to be chased by foes. So God sent a pestilence that killed 70,000 people. When the angel of pestilence was about to enter Jerusalem, God stopped him. (2 Sam. 24)

Sagittarius the Archer

At the Winter solstice on December 21, the sun enters the lowest point on the horizon. The next three days are the darkest days of the year. The scorpion's stings turn into the archer's arrows. The weakened sun is going to die on the solstice.

Bitter to the end

David had gotten so old that not even blankets could keep him warm. So his servants sent him a young maid to lie next to him; there was no sex. He named Solomon as his successor and died after ruling for forty years. (1 Kings 1:1-4, 10)

Even in his death bed, he had strong animosity in him to advice Solomon to assassinate his enemies within the kingdom. (2 Kings 2:5-9)

End