David brought Absalom his exhiled son back to Jerusalem but on the condition that he wasn't allowed to see David. Absalom was in Jerusalem for 2 years before finally his patience ran out and he burned Joabs field in order to get attention. So the king and his wayward son finally met, but Absalom was unrepentant for killing his brother Amnon. Absalom then set about slowely turning the heart of the people away from David and towards himself, it was only a matter of time before the people began to follow him. A few years after Absalom went to Hebron where he decalred himself to be the new king of Israel, when David heard about this he did not defend his throne but was happy to let the things of this world go. But he had to flee because he knew Absalom would be intent on killing him. The only people that were with David at this time were a group of loyal foreigners, whome he cared for and the preist of the Lord led by Zadok.
