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

punished even those that pitied us in our misfortunes; and thou art not
ashamed to do this in the case of one that has been thy bitter enemy, who,
while he was thine own son hath proved so wicked to thee. Leave off,
therefore, thy unreasonable grief, and come abroad and be seen of thy
soldiers, and return them thanks for the alacrity they showed in the fight; for
I myself will this day persuade the people to leave thee, and to give the
kingdom to another, if thou continuest to do thus; and then I shall make thee
to grieve bitterly and in earnest." Upon Joab's speaking thus to him, he made
the king leave off his sorrow, and brought him to the consideration of his
affairs. So David changed his habit, and exposed himself in a manner fit to
be seen by the multitude, and sat at the gates; whereupon all the people heard
of it, and ran together to him, and saluted him. And this was the present state
of David's affairs.
Footnotes:
1. Those that take a view of my description of the gates of the temple, will
not be surprised at this account of David's throne, both here and 2
Samuel 18:21, that it was between two gates or portals. Gates being in
cities, as well as at the temple, large open places, with a portal at the
entrance, and another at the exit, between which judicial causes were
heard, and public consultations taken, as is well known from several
places of Scripture, 2 Chronicles 31:2; Psalm 9:14; 137:5; Proverbs
1:21; 8:3, 31; 31:23, and often elsewhere.
2. Since David was now in Mahanairn, and in the open place of that city
gate, which seems still to have been built the highest of any part of the
wall, and since our other copies say he went up to the chamber over the
gate, 2 Samuel 18:33, I think we ought to correct our present reading in
Josephus, and for city, should read gate, i.e. instead of the highest part of
the city, should say the highest part of the gate. Accordingly we find
David presently, in Josephus, as well as in our other copies, 2 Samuel
19:8, sitting as before, in the gate of the city.
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