Sunday, April 12, 2020

The Smell of Bathsheba's Skin

By David Wrolson

Any readers may remember my riff in the first post on this blog that while Patton saw his past lives "Through a Glass Darkly," some may find scents evocative of other times and places.

One day, while going about my work alone on the farm, I smelled a woman's perfumed skin. She was not of this time or place. I think her name was Bathsheba. No, I know her name was Bathsheba.

What do I know about a woman named Bathsheba and why would I smell her skin? King David is known for his great sin with her and his betrayal of her husband, Uriah the Hittite. Uriah was one of King David's great soldiers. One of his mighty men, if you will. The first child of King David and Bathsheba, the child of his sin, died. However, a later child grew up to become King Solomon.

A short refresher of the biblical story is that King David saw Bathsheba cleansing herself according to Hebrew tradition and became entranced by her beauty and either seduced or raped her.



Bathsheba became pregnant and King David sent for Uriah, her husband, who was away at the wars to sleep with her and cover his indiscretion. Uriah refused to sleep with her as his comrades at the wars were still away from their wives.

King David then ordered his general to place Uriah in a place of great danger so he would be killed in battle.
But none of that answers the question as to why I would smell Bathsheba's skin. Does that mean I was King David? I don't think so. I think I was Uriah and I smelled the skin of my young wife.

I remember as a child asking my mother why she named me David in light of his horrible crime. What kind of kid asks that? Do I carry the wounds of King David's betrayal deep in my soul?

People forget that Uriah and Bathsheba were a married couple. We made love. When we married, she made herself ready for me and she perfumed her skin and the older women gave her advice.

I do not think of Bathsheba as the mother of King Solomon or a wife of King David. I think of her as a young bride on our wedding day preparing herself for her husband.

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