One of his principal conquests was that of the Jebusite stronghold of Zion, which he made the nucleus of his capital city, Jerusalem, often called the City of David. There he constructed his palace and installed, under a tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, making Jerusalem the religious and political center of the domains united in his person.

During the siege of Rabbath (now Amman, Jordan), the Ammonite capital, David committed adultery with Bathsheba, wife of the soldier Uriah, for whose death he was indirectly responsible. This episode, generally considered the major sin of his life, was followed by recurring troubles with his children, one of whom, Absalom, was killed during a rebellion that he had organized against his father. The final years of David's reign were marked by additional family troubles, notably the dispute with his eldest surviving son, Adonijah, that developed after David had selected Solomon, his son by Bathsheba, as heir to the throne.