Why Did Bathsheba Bathe On The Roof

The blame rests squarely on david s shoulders.

Why did bathsheba bathe on the roof.

I don t think it really matters if she bathes in the courtyard or on her roof except that some now attempt to place the blame on bathsheba for seducing david by bathing on her rooftop in the open. They did not have indoor plumbing at that time so bathing outside was the norm. If david was on the roof of the palace looking down he could have easily seen bathsheba in the enclosed courtyard of a nearby home. When i did research on bathsheba for my thesis a few people asked me why she was bathing outside and some thought she was even bathing on top of a roof.

Bathsheba s washing was a faithful and personal act of devotion to god. She wasn t a seductress in this and there is no evidence that she strategically positioned herself on a roof or anywhere else for that matter to catch the king s eye. This month s issue of today in the word from moody addresses a similar question about bathsheba. The sin here was not bathsheba s bathing but david s looking.

The radak rejects such an explanation saying. Read the rest of this post here. She wasn t a seductress in this and there is no evidence that she strategically positioned herself on a roof or anywhere else for that matter to catch the king s eye. Bathsheba was conducting her monthly purification rites.

Bathsheba s washing was a faithful and personal act of devotion to god. The blame rests squarely on david s shoulders. Rape in old testament times.