The Agony at Mahanaim: Jacob–Esau Parallels in the David–Absalom Conflict

King David, fleeing from his usurping son Absalom, is said to have visited Mahanaim, the hilltop settlement where the patriarch Jacob had once encountered "God's camp" (Gen 32:1–2). Inasmuch as Mahanaim was unlikely to have been David's historical headquarters, the mentions of the city serve to evoke its religious heritage. In fact, that heritage (the Jacob–Esau reunion) finds various parallels in the David–Absalom conflict, helping expose the redactional layers of 2 Samuel 15–19. Most significantly, Mahanaim's religious import and the Jacob–David parallels provide an interpretive key to 2 Samuel's ultimate characterization of David.