King David

David was the youngest son of Jesse of Bethlehem, a shepherd chosen by God and anointed by the prophet Samuel. As a youth he defeated the giant Goliath with a sling and a stone, and he later became king of Israel around 1000 B.C., making Jerusalem his capital and bringing the Ark of the Covenant there. He sinned gravely with Bathsheba, but when the prophet Nathan confronted him he repented with all his heart, and Psalm 51 is the prayer of his sorrow. God promised that his kingdom would last forever, a promise fulfilled in Jesus, born in Bethlehem, the city of David; the Roman Martyrology remembers him as a holy king and prophet on December 29.

Tradition credits him with many of the Psalms, which the Church still prays every day. He is often shown with a harp and a crown.