356 SHORT NOTES

THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE MEN OF JOAB AND

ABNER AS A POSSIBLE ORDEAL BY BATTLE ^
Otto EISSFELDT has drawn the attention already in 1951 to the
battle or bout between the picked or choice men *) of Abner with
those of Joab (2 Sam. n 12 if) 2 ). Where, before the paper of EISSFELDT
was written, scholars were almost unanymous that the whole story
was a later fabrication or legend, EISSFELDT invariably has proved
that the historical reliability is beyond doubt. His view is so well
established with examples from the Mediterranean World that we
need not repeat it here. At about the same time Y. SUKENIK has
drawn the attention to the same matter, but with parallel material
from a Reliefs tele of Tell Halaf SUKENIK has arrived independent
from EISSFELDT to the same conclusion, viz. that a real contest and
battle between the picked soldiers of Abner and Joab took place 3 ).
Especially the meaning of the verb shq is interpreted not as play, but
as fight in a battle in all earnest 4) This important discovery is more
or less accepted by modern commentators 5 ).
In light of our advanced knowledge of solemn pledges and cove-
nants we may take another step forward m the correct interpretation
of this part of Samuel. In a lecture at the XIIeme Rencontre Assyriolo-
gique Internationale Viktor KOROSEC has drawn the attention to an
ordeal by battle in the Hittite world 6 ). Especially one of the two
examples quoted by KOROSEC IS of interest to a better understanding
of 2 Sam. n 12 if, viz. the situation described in the autobiography of
Hattusilis III. Hattusilis was appointed by a descendant of the great
king Muwatallis as a vassal over part of his possessions. Later on
as result of difference of opinion between the descendant of Muwatallis
and Hattusilis the latter rebelled against his brother 7 ). In the ensuemg
battle the gods Ishtar and U were called in to decide which of the two

x
) Cf W F A L B R I G H T , Mitannian maryannu " 'Chariot-Warrior' and the
Canaamte and Egyptian Equivalents," AJO 6 (1930-31) 217-221
2
) O t t o EISSFELDT, „ Ein gescheiterter Versuch der Wiedervereinigung Israels",
La Nouvelle Clio 3 (1951) 110-127 = Kleine Schriften, III, 1966, 132-146
3
) Y SUKENIK, "Let the Y o u n g Men, I pray thee, arise and play before u s " ,
JPOS 21 (1948) 110-116
4
) Cf espec EISSFELDT, Kleine Schriften III, 140 141
5
)Cf eg A VAN DEN B O R N , Samuel, BOT I V / 1 , 1956, 138
6
) Cf V KOROSEC, "Warfare of the Hittites — from the Legal Point of View",
Warfare in the Ancient Near East, 1963, 164
7
) Cf for the text A. GOETZE, Hattusilis Der Bericht über seme Thronbesteigung
nebst den Paralleltexten, 1925, 28 ff
 SHORT NOTES 357

parties are guilty in breaking the solemn pledge of allegiance between

them. Consequently Hattusilis emerged as victor and he interpreted
his success as the divine will which prevailed through an ordeal by
battle. It is worth noticing that in this case a rebellion broke out
amongst the Hittites and that the outcome of the battle was inter-
preted as the will of the gods in a kind of divine judgment. The gods
act as arbiters like in court procedures to give the verdict by an
ordeal on the guilty party.
The question is now whether we have the same kind of concept
in 2 Sam. ii 12 ff. or not. The ascendency of David to the throne at
Hebron was obviously regarded by Abner and Ishboshet as an act of
rebellion. The fact that David was willing at a certain stage to col-
laborate with the Philistine Achish as his vassal against Saul and the
Israelites, shows that no sympathy with David and his men could
have existed amongst the Israelites. After David's enthronement quick
action was necessary and the Israelites under command of Abner
went to Gibeon. The fact that they went to Gibeon might not be
accidental, because from another part of the book of Samuel it is
clear that Saul during his life acted treacherously to the Gibeonites
by breaking the treaty in Jos. ix (cf. 2 Sam. xxi) x ). It is thus to be
expected that the Gibeonites should side with David and not with
the Saulites. They met each other at the reservoir of Gibeon which
is recently discovered by the archaeologist team of J. B. PRITCHARD 2 ).
To avoid an open battle they first decided on a contest between picked
men of both sides, but this contest resulted in a draw. So the only way
out was to have a full scale battle. The author of the book of Samuel
leaves us with no uncertainty about the victors of this ordeal by
battle. Joab and his men with only twenty casualties against the
hundred and sixty men of Abner points to a clear victory for David
and his cause. Actually the author continues in 2 Sam. iii I to show
that David as the appointed victor by the Lord grew in might while
the Saulites became weaker every minute.
Although nowhere in the narrative of 2 Sam. ii 12 ff. the Lord is
expresses verbis called in as Judge to decide the ordeal by battle, the
rôle of the Lord who has chosen David and rejected Saul is clearly
discernable in the background.
Stellenbosch, S.A. F. CHARLES FENSHAM
x
) Cf. also VAN DEN B O R N , 138.
2
) Cf. especially James B. P R I T C H A R D , The Water System oj Gibeon, 1961 and
J. B. PRITCHARD, Gibeon. Where the Sun stood still, \962, 35 fF.
 ^ s
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