01_Biblica_1_E_Kalimi_Layout 1 30/01/13 13:15 Pagina 483 01_B 483 KING SOLOMON David and Solomon’s mother completely from any stain of their adulterous affair and avoid even a hint of it. Moreover, the Chron- icler prevents using or even mentioning once the theophoric name “Yedidyah” (i.e., “beloved of the Lord”) in his writing. A probable explanation of this fact could be as follows: in 2 Sam 12,24-25 “Yedidyah” is related to the story of the adultery (that is, while the first son died, the second son, Solomon, was loved by the Lord), and therefore the Chronicler does not refer to that name 6. Indeed, any hint of that issue would damage the idealized portrayals of the founders of the Davidic Dynasty ― David and Solomon ― that he presents in his writing 7. This intention of the Chronicler is appro- priately and persistently noted in pre-modern and modern biblical scholarship. For instance, already in the 12th century, the author of the commentary ascribed to Rashi (Pseudo-Rashi) states in his com- ment on several verses in the book that “In this book, he (= the Chronicler) does not want to say anything that may hurt the Davidic House (= Dynasty)” 8. Indeed, if the Chronicler wanted to exclude from his book the story of 2 Samuel 12, it would have been complicated for him to include the story regarding the birth and death of David’s and Bathsheba’s first son (2 Sam 11,27; 12,14-23), for the reason that is just mentioned. Nonetheless, it seems that there is an additional motivation for the Chronicler to exclude this story, a motivation that was completely overlooked in the scholarship. This son was born as a result of adultery, and he died because of the sins of his parents. As such, the story’s rationale stands in contradiction to the fundamental theological concept of the Chronicler, namely that Septuagint 2 Sam 11,3 has: “the daughter of Eliab” (interchange of m and b), and the Peshitta: “the daughter of Ahinoam” (1 Chr 3,1). For a detailed discussion on the identity of Bathsheba, see A.E. GARDNER, “The Identity of Bath-Sheba”, RB 112 (2005) 521-553. For an additional reason for ignoring of the name “Yedidyah” in Chron- 6 icles, see below, § II, 2. Accordingly, the Chronicler omits also the reference to the David and 7 Bathsheba scene that appears in 1 Kgs 15,5; see the parallel texts between 1 Kgs 15,1-6 and 2 Chr 13,1-3. The citation is from Pseudo-Rashi’s commentary on 1 Chr 17,13. See I. 8 KALIMI, The Retelling of Chronicles in Jewish Tradition and Literature. A Historical Journey (Winona Lake, IN 2009) 199-209, esp. 204-205, and there additional references to Pseudo-Rashi’s commentary and discussion. © Gregorian Biblical Press 2012 - Tutti i diritti riservati