and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

So much for this meek father of the Jews.

And now let us consider David and his son Solomon, the greatest of
the Bible kings, and the ancestors of Jesus Christ.

Judging King David by the Bible record, I should conclude that he
was a cruel, treacherous, and licentious savage. He lived for some
time as a bandit, robbing the subjects of the King of Gath, who
had given him shelter. When asked about this by the king, David
lied. As to the nature of his conduct at this time, no room is left
for doubt by the story of Nabal. David demanded blackmail of Nabal,
and, on its being refused, set out with four hundred armed men to
rob Nabal, and kill every male on his estate. This he was prevented
from doing by Nabal's wife, who came out to meet David with fine
presents and fine words. _Ten days later Nabal died, and David
married his widow._ See twenty-fifth chapter First Book of Samuel.

David had seven wives, and many children. One of his favourite wives
was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah.

While Uriah was at "the front," fighting for David, that king seduced
his wife, Bathsheba. To avoid discovery, David recalled Uriah from
the war, and bade him go home to his wife. Uriah said it would
dishonour him to seek ease and pleasure at home while other soldiers
were enduring hardship at the front. The king then made the soldier
drunk, but even so could not prevail.

Therefore David sent word to the general to place Uriah in the front