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{{about|the biblical person|other people named Amnon|Amnon (given name)|the moshav in northern Israel|Amnun}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name               = Amnon
| title              = [[Kings of Israel and Judah|Prince of Israel]]
| image              = Jan Steen 001.jpg
| caption            = Amnon and Tamar, painted by [[Jan Steen]]
| reign              =  
| birth_date         = 
| birth_place        = [[Hebron]], [[Tribe of Judah|Judah]], [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|Israel]]
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = [[Baal-hazor]], [[Mount Ephraim|Ephraim]], [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|Israel]]
| burial_date        =
| burial_place       = 
| predecessor        = 
| successor          = 
| wife               = 
| consort            =
| issue              = 
| dynasty            =
| royal anthem       =
| royal motto        =
| father             = [[David]]
| mother             = [[Ahinoam]]
}}
'''Amnon''' ({{langx|he|אַמְנוֹן|’Amnōn}}, "faithful") was, in the [[Hebrew Bible]], the oldest son of [[David (biblical king)|King David]] and his second wife, [[Ahinoam]] of [[Jezreel (city)|Jezreel]].<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|3:2|AKJV}}, {{bibleverse|1 Samuel|25:43|AKJV}}. {{bibleverse|1 Samuel|27:3|AKJV}}</ref> He was born in [[Hebron]] during his father's reign in [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]].<ref name=":0">{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|3:2|AKJV}}</ref> He was the [[heir apparent]] to the throne of [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|Israel]] until he was assassinated by his paternal half-brother [[Absalom]] to avenge the rape of Absalom's sister [[Tamar (daughter of David)|Tamar]].<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Samuel|3:2|AKJV}}, {{bibleverse|2 Samuel|13:32|AKJV}}</ref>

==Biblical account==

===Amnon's background===
Amnon was born in [[Hebron]] to [[Ahinoam]] and [[David (biblical king)|King David]].<ref name=":0" /> 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>

==In rabbinic literature==
The sages of the Mishnah point out that Amnon's love for Tamar, his half-sister, did not arise from true affection, but from passion and lust, on which account, after having attained his desire, he immediately "hated her exceedingly." "All love which depends upon some particular thing ceases when that thing ceases; thus was the love of Amnon for Tamar" (Ab. v. 16). Amnon's love for Tamar was not, however, such a transgression as is usually supposed: for, although she was a daughter of David, her mother was a prisoner of war, who had not yet become a Jewess; consequently, Tamar also had not entered the Jewish community (Sanh. 21a). The incident of Amnon and Tamar was utilized by the sages as affording justification for their rule that a man must on no account remain alone in the company of a woman, not even of an unmarried one (Sanh. l.c. et seq.).<ref>{{cite web| url = https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1415-amnon| title = Jewish Encyclopedia}}</ref>

According to the [[Babylonian Talmud]], Amnon hated Tamar because, as he raped her, Tamar tied one of her hairs around Amnon's [[Human penis|penis]] and used it to [[Castration|castrate]] him.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sanhedrin 21a:22 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.21a.22?lang=bi&with=Introductions%20to%20the%20Babylonian%20Talmud&lang2=en |access-date=2023-07-29 |website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref> The Babylonian Talmud also asserts that Amnon's death was a punishment from the Lord for Amnon's "lewdness"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Midrash Tanchuma, Bereshit 12:1 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Midrash_Tanchuma,_Bereshit.12.1?ven=Midrash_Tanhuma-Yelammedenu,_trans._Samuel_A._Berman&lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en |access-date=2023-07-29 |website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref> and for his actions.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.aish.com/tp/i/moha/48960031.html| title = The Eleventh Plague footnote 12 "...'I am the Lord' implies: I am He who inflicted punishment upon Samson, Amnon, and Zimri, and who will inflict punishment upon any one who will act in accordance with their practices..."| work = aishcom| date = 24 June 2009}}</ref> As noted above those who committed incest are subject to two curses in the Torah and kareth; Amnon was said to be possibly consigned to the 2nd circle of Gehenna.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehebrewcafe.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=680|title=ASk the Rabbi Query...|website=www.thehebrewcafe.com| date=23 July 2021}}</ref>  For reasons of propriety, the Mishnah excludes the story from public reading in synagogue, whether in the original or in Aramaic translation (Meg. 4:10).<ref>E ncyclopedia Judea Vol 2 (ALr-Az)</ref>

==Literary references==
* The Spanish poet [[Federico García Lorca]] wrote a poem about Amnon's rape of his sister Tamar, included in Lorca's 1928 poetry collection ''[[Romancero Gitano]]'' (translated as ''Gypsy Ballads''). Lorca's version is considerably different from the Biblical original – Amnon is depicted as being overcome by a sudden uncontrollable passion, with none of the cynical planning and premeditation of the original story. He assaults and rapes Tamar and then flees into the night on his horse, with archers shooting at him from the walls – whereupon King David cuts the strings of his harp.
*''The Rape of Tamar'', novel by [[Dan Jacobson]] ({{ISBN|1-84232-139-0}})
*"The Death of Amnon", poem by Elizabeth Hands

==References==
{{Jewish Encyclopedia |title=AMNON ("Steadfast") |url=https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1415-amnon |first1=J. Frederic|last1= McCurdy |first2= Louis |last2= Ginzberg  |volume= |page=|ref=none}}
{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Amnon}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Jewish royalty]]
[[Category:Children of David]]
[[Category:Biblical murder victims]]
[[Category:Rapists]]
[[Category:Mythological people involved in incest]]
[[Category:Incestual abuse]]
[[Category:Heirs apparent who never acceded]]
[[Category:Sons of kings]]