David and Jonathan

DAVID AND JONATHAN
28TH COIN IN THE "BIBLICAL ART" SERIES
Legal Tender issued by the Bank of Israel

The story of David and Jonathan, told in the Book of Samuel, is the story of an exceptional covenant of friendship based on loyalty, affection and mutual support, surpassing usual family friendship.

Jonathan, the eldest son of King Saul, crown prince, had great respect for David, a young shepherd, and the two became close friends. When David became a successful warrior for Saul and popular with the people, Saul’s jealousy of David was aroused, as he believed David to be a threat to his kingship. Although he was King Saul’s son and heir to the throne, Jonathan remained loyal to David, wanting him to be king after his father:

“… And you shall reign over Israel, and may I be to you as a viceroy, and my father Saul too, knows this is so" (1 Samuel 23,17).

Such a situation was not at all usual, particularly in a time when it was more common for brothers to kill one another in order to ensure a kingship.

“And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself” (1 Samuel 18,3).

The covenant between the two was more than any ordinary bond of friendship. It was a covenant between their souls, a mutual promise to love, defend and assist each other in all circumstances. Jonathan, in spite of his royal status, fearlessly defended David from his father who sought to kill him, and he gave him vital information to help him survive his father’s pursuit of him. David, on his part, proved his loyalty to Jonathan again and again, and expressed deep appreciation of his faithful friend.

After Saul and Jonathan’s death on the battlefield, David composed a lamentation, in which he mourns for them. In his concluding words, he says: “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan, you were very pleasant to me. Your love was more wonderful to me than the love of women” (2 Samuel 1,26).

The story of David and Jonathan is one of a true, unconditional and boundless friendship, which has transcended the generations and remained inspiring to this very day. The covenant between them is exemplary, stressing the importance of interpersonal relationships, based on mutual trust and appreciation.

Coin Description
Reverse: To the right, David stands with his harp, the instrument with which he is identified. To the left is Jonathan, the outstanding warrior, carrying on his back his arrows for battle. Both shake hands as a sign of the covenant they had forged between their souls.
Obverse: The Israel State Emblem, face value, word "Israel" in Hebrew, English and Arabic, the mint year and mint mark, border inscription "Covenant of David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18,3)” in the three languages. In the center, to the left, is an artistic element representing the arrows Jonathan used in battle.