Absalom's Rebellion

The rebellion of Absalom against his father David, king of Israel. After killing his half-brother Amnon in revenge for raping their sister Tamar, Absalom fled into exile. Returning to Jerusalem years later, he gradually won the hearts of the people and declared himself king at Hebron. David fled Jerusalem, and civil war erupted. The rebellion ended when Absalom, caught by his hair in a tree while fleeing a losing battle, was killed by Joab against David’s explicit orders. David’s grief-stricken lament “O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33) remains one of scripture’s most poignant expressions of parental anguish.