the Hebrews believed that the fertility of the soil &
the general prosperity of the people were bound up
w/ the fertility of the king. David by this time was old
& decrepit & his ****** vigor is called into question.
Attempts are made to remedy the situation.
The first cure is to heap clothes upon his bed
in order to secure such physical heat as might
render him capable. When this fails a search
is made for the most beautiful woman in the land.
Great emphasis is placed upon Abishag's charms.
The LXX supports this by translating in vs. 2,
"& let her excite him and lie with him."
The fact that the king did not have ******* w/
her is decisive in the story. If David was impotent
he could no longer be king.