The Cave of Adullam was originally a stronghold referred to in the

Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...

, near the town of Adullam, where future King

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

sought refuge from

King Saul Saul (; he, , ; , ; ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, supposedly marked the transition of Israel and Judah from a scattered t ...

. The word "cave" is usually used but "fortress", which has a similar appearance in writing, is used as well.

Wilhelm Gesenius Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius (3 February 178623 October 1842) was a German orientalist, lexicographer, Christian Hebraist, Lutheran theologian, Biblical scholar and critic. Biography Gesenius was born at Nordhausen. In 1803 he became a ...

' work ''Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures'' provides notes supporting ''Adullam'' as meaning "a hiding place". Brown, Driver, and Briggs' Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament cite the Arabic word '''adula'' to mean "turn aside" and suggest ''Adullam'' to mean "retreat, refuge". During this period, David passed up several opportunities to kill Saul, who in turn was attempting to kill his young rival, whose followers believed had been chosen by

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

to succeed King Saul. David refused to fight unethically, for instance when he had an opportunity to kill Saul in his sleep. According to the Old Testament, God honored David's high ethical standards and soon King David and his men, who had once hidden in the Cave of Adullam, were known throughout Israel for their deeds of valor.

Non-biblical usage

The term "Cave of Adullam" has been used by political commentators referring to any small group remote from power but planning to return. Thus in

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...

's 1814 novel '' Waverley'' when the

Jacobite rising of 1745 The Jacobite rising of 1745, also known as the Forty-five Rebellion or simply the '45 ( gd, Bliadhna Theàrlaich, , ), was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took ...

marches south through England, the

Jacobite Jacobite means follower of Jacob or James. Jacobite may refer to: Religion * Jacobites, followers of Saint Jacob Baradaeus (died 578). Churches in the Jacobite tradition and sometimes called Jacobite include: ** Syriac Orthodox Church, sometimes ...

Baron of Bradwardine welcomes scanty recruits while remarking that they closely resemble David's followers at the Cave of Adullam; "'' videlicet'', every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented". cite ''Waverley'', chapter lvii.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adullam Caves of Israel David Hebrew Bible places Walter Scott

Non-biblical usage

See also

References