Von Senger found that even the Bible is full of stratagems, such as in the Old Testament story of King David who, after having seen Bathsheba bathing, sent Uriah, her husband, to die in battle--a clear example of "borrowing the knife to murder."
勝雅律又上溯至影響西方人最大的聖經故事，發現其中也充滿了計謀權術。約書亞「聲東擊西」、猶大「吻裡藏刀」舊約撒母耳記中，大衛王看見出浴的拔示芭，驚其美色，於是派她的丈夫赫人烏利亞到最猛烈的前線打仗，卻撤走其他部屬。最後烏利亞自然戰亡，拔示芭成為王的妻子。