Bathsheba

Bathsheba (/bæθˈʃiːbə, ˈbæθʃɪbə/; Hebrew: בַּת־שֶׁבַע Baṯ-šeḇaʿ, lit. 'Daughter of Sheba' or 'Daughter of the Oath')^[1] was an Israelite queen consort. According to the Hebrew Bible, she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of David, with whom she had all of her five children. Her status as the mother of Solomon, who succeeded David as monarch, made her the Gebirah (גְּבִירָה) of the Kingdom of Israel.

Bathsheba is best known for her appearance in the Book of Samuel, which recounts how she was summoned by David's royal messengers after he witnessed her bathing and lusted after her; David has Uriah killed and then marries Bathsheba, incurring the wrath of God, who strikes down the couple's first child in infancy before plunging the House of David into chaos and anguish.^[2]

Jewish tradition often identifies her as the granddaughter of Ahithophel, while rabbinic lore describes Satan’s role in her encounter with David. In Christianity, Bathsheba appears in Jesus’ genealogy (Matthew 1:6) and is linked typologically to the Virgin Mary; Ethiopian Orthodoxy venerates her as a saint. In Islam, her story is rejected as incompatible with prophetic infallibility, with traditions explaining David’s marriage to her differently.

Scholars debate whether she was a victim of David’s abuse of power or an active participant, and her story influenced views of David’s later decline. Bathsheba became a prominent figure in art, literature, music, and film, often depicted bathing as David watches, symbolizing themes of power, desire, and divine judgment.