Allusions in rabbinic literature to the Biblical character Joab, the nephew of King David and commander of his army, contain various expansions, elaborations and inferences beyond what is presented in the text of the Bible itself.
David suggested that he should more carefully observe the dispositions of parents toward their children, and to do this, Joab undertook a journey.
In the evening the old man divided the bread which he had won by his day's labor into fourteen equal pieces, for his twelve sons, his wife, and himself.
The old man rebuked him for such advice and went on to his work; from the mother, however, he succeeded, after meeting many objections, in buying one son for one hundred pieces of gold.
His wife at first gave various reasons for his absence, but her husband remained unsatisfied, and she was obliged to tell him the truth.
But Joab, having supplied himself with money, and taking his sword, ordered them to hurl him over the wall from a sling and wait forty days; if at the end of that time they saw blood flowing under the gates they would know that he was alive.
Joab was taken and revived by its inmates, meeting their questions by telling them "I am an Amalekite; the Israelites captured me and threw me over the wall; now let me stay with you and I will pay you."
Joab paid his hostess for ten more days, and at the end of that time went to the gate of the city, where he slew 1,500 men.
This time his hand stuck to the sword, and he returned to the house and asked the young woman for warm water.
Then Joab put the slain king's crown on David's head while his troops were engaged in carrying off the spoils of the city.