Absalom (AB-suh-luhm) — Absalom was a son of David and Maakah, the full brother of Tamar, and a royal son who killed Amnon and later led a rebellion against David.
Birth year: Unknown.
Death year: Unknown.
Active during: The reign of David, commonly placed in the tenth century BC.
Home region: Born in Hebron; later centered in Jerusalem.
Main passages: 2 Samuel 13–18.
Story and role
Absalom was a son of David and Maakah, the full brother of Tamar, and a royal son who killed Amnon and later led a rebellion against David.
How the dates were determined
The biblical text places Absalom in the reign of David, commonly placed in the tenth century BC. It does not provide enough evidence for a responsible birth or death year. BC means “before Christ”; AD marks years in the traditional Christian calendar.
Limits of the evidence
Scripture gives no birth or death year. The duration in 2 Samuel 15:7 has a textual variant, and the exact location of the forest of Ephraim is uncertain. The artwork is an imagined historical illustration, not a known likeness.
Explore the places connected with Absalom on a modern reference map.