Editing Amnon (section)

==Biblical account==

===Amnon's background===
Amnon was born in [[Hebron]] to [[Ahinoam]] and [[David (biblical king)|King David]].<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|3:2|AKJV}}</ref> As the presumptive heir to the throne of [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|Israel]], Amnon enjoyed a life of power and privilege.<ref>'Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin', page 21, verses 31–32</ref>

===Rape of Tamar===
Although he was the heir-apparent to David's throne, Amnon is best remembered for the [[rape]] of his paternal half-sister [[Tamar (daughter of David)|Tamar]], daughter of David and [[Talmai#Talmai, father of Maacah|Maachah]]. Despite the biblical [[Mitzvah|prohibition]] on sexual relations between half siblings,<ref>{{bibleverse|Leviticus|18:11|AKJV}}</ref> Amnon had an overwhelming desire for her. He acted on advice from his cousin, [[Jonadab]] son of Shimeah, David's brother, to lure Tamar into his quarters by pretending to be sick and desiring her to cook a special meal for him. While in his quarters, and over her protests, he [[rape]]d her, then had her expelled from his house. While King David was angry about the incident, he could not bring himself to punish his eldest son,<ref>According to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version of 2 Samuel 13:21, "... he did not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn."  {{cite web |title=2 Samuel 13 NLT |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Samuel+13&version=NLT#fen-NLT-8315d |website=Bible Gateway}}</ref>  while [[Absalom]], Amnon's half-brother and Tamar's full brother, nursed a bitter grudge against Amnon for the rape of his sister.

According to the Babylonian Talmud: "And Thou should not associate with a sinner:.... And so we find with Amnon, who associated with Jonadab, the son of Shim'ah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very sensible man—sensible in wickedness, as it is written [Jer. Iv .22]: Wise are they to do evil." According to others, it is meant that one shall not associate with the wicked, even to study the Torah."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HeifAAAAMAAJ&dq=Nathan+of+Babylon++on+Jonadab&pg=PA41 |title=Babylon Talmud "Tract Aboth"..p.41 |last1=Rodkinson |first1=Michael Levi |year=1900}}</ref>

According to [[Abba Arikha|Rav]], Tamar was not, by Biblical law, David's daughter, nor Amnon's sister. Tamar, was the earlier born daughter of David's wife, and thus not biologically related to David, nor Amnon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.21a.19?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en|title=Sanhedrin 21a:19}}</ref> According to [[Michael D. Coogan]]'s claims, however, it would have been perfectly all right for Amnon to have married his sister (he claims that the Bible was incoherent about prohibiting incest).<ref>{{cite book|last=Coogan|first=Michael|title=God and Sex. What the Bible Really Says|url=https://archive.org/details/godsexwhatbi00coog|url-access=registration|quote=god and sex.|accessdate=5 May 2011|edition=1st|year=2010|publisher=Twelve. Hachette Book Group|location=New York, Boston|isbn=978-0-446-54525-9|oclc=505927356|pages=[https://archive.org/details/godsexwhatbi00coog/page/112 112]-113}}</ref> According to the Torah, per [[Leviticus 18]], "the children of Israel"—Israelite men and women alike—are forbidden from sexual relations between people who are "near of kin" (cf. verse 6). Siblings and half siblings (cf. verses 9 and 11). Relationships between these are particularly singled out for a curse in [[Deuteronomy 27]], and they are of the only two kinds incestuous relationships that are among the particularly-singled-out relationships—with the other particularly-singled-out relationships, being ones of non-incestuous family betrayal (cf. verse 20) and bestiality (cf. verse 21). Incestuous relationships are considered so severe among [[Chillul Hashem|c''hillul hashem'']], acts which bring shame to the name of God, as to be, along with the other forbidden relationships that are mentioned in Leviticus 18, punishable by death as specified in [[Leviticus 20]]. Those who committed incest were subject to two curses—one for committing incest and the second  for breaking the Torah law. [27 Deuteronomy 22 and 26] and also the punishment of [[kareth]].

[[File:Convito di Ansalonne.jpg|thumb|220px|''The Banquet of Absalom'', attributed to [[Niccolò De Simone]].]]
Two years later, to avenge Tamar, Absalom invited all of David's sons to a feast at sheep-shearing time, then had his servants kill Amnon after he had become drunk with wine.<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|13|AKJV}}</ref> As a result, Absalom fled to [[Geshur]].

{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|13:39|AKJV}} records that in time David came to terms with the death of Amnon, his first-born. [[Methodism|Methodist]] founder [[John Wesley]] is critical of David: "He can almost find in his heart to receive into favour the murderer of his brother. How can we excuse David from the sin of [[Eli (biblical figure)|Eli]], who honoured his sons more than God?"<ref>[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/wes/2_samuel/13.htm Wesley's Notes on 2 Samuel 13], accessed 24 July 2017</ref>