Aabra Ahmed

Ms. Pantoja
Section 1B
Close Reading Passage
In 2 Samuel 5, the focus is on David, beginning with him becoming the king of Israel. He
then marches to Jerusalem and conquers the city. The Philistines hear of David becoming king of
Israel. Angered by this news, they search for him. After seeking the counsel of God and receiving
His approval, David attacks and defeats the Philistines, twice. In 2 Samuel 6, David and thirty
thousand men travel to Balaah to bring back the Ark of the Covenant. One of the men, named
Uzzah, touches the ark to stabilize it and is instantly killed from Gods anger. David becomes
afraid of the Lord and leaves the ark at the house of Obed-Edom for three months. After seeing
the blessing that Obed-Edom receives for having the ark in his home, David brings the ark to his
city. He rejoices greatly over the ark, to the point that his dancing embarrasses his wife. David
tells his wife that for his Lord, he would be even more undignified in his dancing. In 2 Samuel 7,
the Lord speaks to Nathan, telling him that He promises David and his people a land where they
can reside in. David then says a prayer, asking that the Lord keep His promise to David and
praising the Lord as well.
Throughout these readings, Jerusalem is shown as a holy city. The Ark of the Covenant
that David brings to Jerusalem is a sacred item. Uzzahs death from simply touching the ark is an
important event in showing the importance of the ark. When it was in Obed-Edoms home, it
brought blessings to the household, further showing the sacred value of the ark. The arks final
destination ends up being Jerusalem. Holding such a sacred object makes Jerusalem itself a holy
location in space. David performs sacrifices and rituals in Jerusalem in recognition of the arks

arrival, further signifying Jerusalem as a sacred place. An important image is David dancing
enthusiastically due to the arrival of the ark. His dancing is so extreme that the sight of it angers
his wife. In this act, we see how important the ark is to David and his people. The ark is worth
looking foolish over, and provides excitement that cannot be contained.
Jerusalem also serves as a place of communication between the Lord and humans. This is
what an axis mundi is, a place that allows for a connection between heaven and earth.
Throughout the passages, the Lord is with David, especially in Jerusalem. The Lord serves an
important part in these stories. After conquering Jerusalem, David builds around the area. He
becomes more powerful because he has God with him. Not only is God with David, but an angel
named Nathan as well. The Lord is able to communicate with David through the angel Nathan.
The presence of a supernatural being such as Nathan also illustrates Jerusalems status as an axis
mundi. An angel is a creature of the heavens, and he made an appearance at Jerusalem, meaning
it is a sacred place. In 2 Samuel 7, David is promised a land for his people and a dynasty for
himself. He is promised this land while in Jerusalem, making this land special. Usually a
nomadic people, David offers to build God a permanent home in Jerusalem. This was never done
before, and again reiterates the importance of Jerusalem.
The chosen passages show the spiritual importance of Jerusalem. It is with Gods aid that
David becomes more powerful while in Jerusalem, and Gods presence is within Jerusalem. The
Ark of the Covenant, an item that can bring blessings and death to those who are around it,
makes its way to Jerusalem. Holding this sacred item makes Jerusalem sacred as well. Finally,
the communication between the heavens and earth that occur at Jerusalem show the city to be an
axis mundi.