From the Death of Saul to the Death of David - Flavius Josephus

perpetrated his wickedness secretly, yet should that punishment which he
was to undergo be inflicted publicly upon him; "that, moreover," said he,
"the child which was born to thee of her shall soon die." When the king was
troubled at these messages, and sufficiently confounded, and said with tears
and sorrow that he had sinned, (for he was without controversy a pious man,
and guilty of no sin at all in his whole life, excepting those in the matter of
Uriah,) God had compassion on him, and was reconciled to him, and
promised that he would preserve to him both his life and his kingdom; for he
said that, seeing he repented of the things he had done, he was no longer
displeased with him. So Nathan, when he had delivered this prophecy to the
king, returned home.
4. However, God sent a dangerous distemper upon the child that was
born to David of the wife of Uriah, at which the king was troubled, and did
not take any food for seven days, although his servants almost forced him to
take it; but he clothed himself in a black garment, and fell down, and lay
upon the ground in sackcloth, entrusting God for the recovery of the child,
for he vehemently loved the child's mother; but when, on the seventh day,
the child was dead, the king's servants durst not tell him of it, as supposing
that when he knew it, he would still less admit of food, and other care of
himself, by reason of his grief at the death of his son, since when the child
was only sick, he so greatly afflicted himself, and grieved for him: but when
the king perceived that his servants were in disorder, and seemed to be
affected, as those who are very desirous to conceal something, he understood
that the child was dead; and when he had called one of his servants to him,
and discovered that so it was, he arose up and washed himself, and took a
white garment, and came into the tabernacle of God. He also commanded
them to set supper before him, and thereby greatly surprised his kindred and
servants, while he did nothing of this when the child was sick, but did it all
when he was dead. Whereupon having first begged leave to ask him a
question, they besought him to tell them the reason of this his conduct; he
then called them unskillful people, and instructed them how he had hopes of
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