Israelite Sheepshearing and David’s Rise to Power 61 of Absalom’s death takes on added significance when we consider that it was likely in this same region (Ephraim) and at the same time of year (spring) that Absalom and his men ran Amnon through with their own swords(26). Thus, the unshorn Absalom becomes a victim at his own game, and the Davidic sheepshearings come to a fitting end. 3. Sheepshearing and the Davidic Throne When taken together, the biblical evidence presents Israelite sheep- shearings as a time of trickery (Jacob surreptitiously escapes from Laban, Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute, Absalom deceptively invites Amnon to his shearing), licentiousness (Judah has relations with a prostitute, both Nabal and Amnon drink to excess), and revenge (Jacob, Tamar, David and Absalom all seek recompense during sheepshearing) — giving Israelite sheepshearings an affinity with other ancient (and modern) springtime celebrations. Yet, what gave rise to the peculiar connection between sheepshearing and the Davidic throne? One possibility is that sheepshearing, because of its associations with revelry and revenge, provided an ideal narrative backdrop for events from Israel’s past requiring the vindication of wrongs or the repayment of debts. This model would help to explain why the Jacob and Laban narrative, which seems to have no immediate connection to David (though, see below), shares a number of parallels with the David and Nabal story. That is, the motif had a broader application than David. Yet, this explanation still does not account for all the data, especially why sheepshearing in its other three occurrences would be connected to David, even when one of these narratives appears in Genesis. This leads to, what is to my mind, the most satisfying explanation of the evidence, the connections between sheepshearing and David arose from actual events (or, at least, well-established traditions) surrounding the establishment of the Davidic dynasty – events that might be reconstructed as follows: David, during his rise to power, acquired considerable territory and livestock from a wealthy landowner in Carmel during the celebrations of sheepshearing, a time of known excess and vulnerability. This acquisition provided David with an important foothold near his eventual capital, Hebron, and, following Levenson, may have even established him as the r˛π bêt ’˝b or n˝¢î of the Calebite clan (27). Absalom also tried to benefit from the revelry and vulnerability of sheepshearing (like father, like son) by eliminating the heir to the throne and, had David attended, perhaps even carrying out a coup. Either of these events, and certainly the combination of the two, could have given shape to the traditions concerning Perez, who was conceived during the (26) The locations are “Baal-Hazor near Ephraim”, µyrpaAµ[ rça rwxj l[bb (2 Sam 13,23) and “the forest of Ephraim”, µyrpa r[yb (2 Sam 18,6), respectively. Admittedly, this connection is textually based, as the precise location of the forest of Ephraim — whether it is east or west of the Jordan (or both, as suggested by Josh 17,14-18) — is unknown, as is the question of whether or not the “Ephraim” of 2 Sam 13,23 should be understood as “Ophrah”. For discussion, see Henry O. THOMPSON, “Ephraim”, ABD II, 556; “Ephraim, Forest of”, ABD II, 557. (27) J.D. LEVENSON, “1 Samuel 25 as Literature and as History”, CBQ 40 (1978) 26-27.