Israelite Sheepshearing and David’s Rise to Power (*) “Wherever sheepshearing is mentioned it marks an important epoch” (1). So state the midrashim (2). Yet, more than marking important epochs, biblical sheepshearings share a number of peculiar characteristics that require explanation. For example, in each of its four appearances, sheepshearing provides the setting for avenging a wrong: (1) Jacob takes what rightfully belongs to him for tending Laban’s flocks (Genesis 31); (2) Tamar lures Judah into a sexual encounter to secure her rightful progeny (Genesis 38); (3) David seeks compensation for protecting Nabal’s flocks (1 Samuel 25); and (4) Absalom kills Amnon for raping his sister, Tamar (2 Samuel 13). In addition, three of these narratives relate to David: Genesis 38 explains how the royal clan came into existence; 1 Samuel 25 describes how David obtained property and wealth near Hebron; and 2 Samuel 13 reports how Absalom killed the heir to his father’s throne. What is more, the one narrative not directly connected to David (Genesis 31) reads a lot like one that is (1 Samuel 25). Rarely, if ever, are such narrative connections meaningless. Yet, what is their significance? A close analysis of the biblical text reveals that sheepshearing in ancient Israel was much more than a pastoral duty; it was a significant celebration, characterized by feasting, drunkenness and the settling of old scores. As a result of these associations of revelry and revenge, sheepshearing became an ideal backdrop — both literary and actual — for events in Israel’s past involving the repayment of debts or the righting of wrongs. Because both David and Absalom took advantage of sheepshearing for this purpose — and, in the process, aided their own ascents to power — sheepshearing became intimately associated with the establishment of the Davidic dynasty, even providing the narrative backdrop for the emergence of the royal clan. 1. Textual Analysis Because the narratives in Samuel contribute the most to our understanding of sheepshearing in ancient Israel, we begin there. a) David and Nabal (1 Samuel 25) In 1 Samuel 25 we encounter Nabal, an extremely wealthy man who owns three thousand sheep, one thousand goats, and has the means to employ professional shearers (vv. 2.7). During the time of shearing, David sends (*) I want to thank Catherine Muldoon of Boston College for providing research assistance during the final stages of writing. Any errors that remain are strictly my own. (1) GenR 74,5. The text is µçwr hçw[ hzyzg rmanç µwqm lkb, literally, “In every place that sheepshearing is mentioned, it makes a mark”. While µçwr hçw[ can also mean “has a bad result” (cf. GenR 43,6), the intention of GenR 74,5 is to describe the event’s significance, not its negative effects. Cf. M. JASTROW, A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (New York 1950) I, 230. (2) Cf. GenR 85,6; MSem 23,9.