David prophesies the punishment that will fall upon him, stating "the sword shall never depart from your house." When David acknowledges that he has sinned, Nathan advises him that his sin is forgiven and he will not die, but the child will. In fulfillment of Nathan's words, David's son Absalom, fueled by vengeance and lust for power, rebels. Absalom's forces are routed at the battle of the Wood of Ephraim, and he is caught by his long hair in the branches of a tree where, contrary to David's order, he is killed by Joab, the commander of David's army. David laments
Palm Tree King the Palm Tree King, but he seems to be the only one of the "Slain Heroes" to have escaped from Ninurta, and remains free to continue his mischief in the world. Palm Tree King The Palm Tree King was one of the monsters later known as the "Slain Heroes" in the Sumerian epic, Lugale, which centred on the quest of Ninurta (a.k.a. Lugalbanda) to recover the Tablets of Destiny, which were stolen by the Slain Heroes, from Ninurta's father, Enlil, the angry, jealous God of Air, and early head of the Sumerian pantheon (though replaced as other gods came into