The Bible portrays King David as an exceptional man and a paragon
of godly devotion. But was he? Some scholars deny that he existed
at all. Did he? This challenging book examines the written and
archaeological evidence critically in an effort to paint an
accurate picture of one of the Bible's central figures.
Neither defending nor rejecting the traditions about David,
Baruch Halpern, a leading scholar of biblical history and the
ancient Near East, traces the origins and development of David's
persona. Because the biblical text clearly responds to concerns
that can only be contemporary with David himself, we can believe
that David was both real and a central actor in the historical
drama of ancient Israel. Yet at the same time, the written record
also shows that contemporaries understood David's character to be
much more unsavory than the tradition has hitherto allowed.
Halpern digs beneath the layers of tradition to understand David
as an individual, as a person. The man he uncovers turns out to
have been complex, ambiguous, and--above all--surprising. According
to Halpern, the image of David grew over time. He was the founder
of the dynasty that perpetuated the texts about him, and they
progressively exaggerated his accomplishments. But in the earliest
writings David remains a modest figure, as this book shows for the
first time. To understand David as a human being, one must keep in
mind that he was primarily a politician who operated in a
rough-and-tumble environment in which competitors were ready
literally to slit throats.
Halpern's work raises many provocative questions: Was David an
Israelite or a Philistine? Was Solomon really David's son? Did
David take the throne ofIsrael by the consent or against the will
of the people? How many murders did he commit on his way to the
crown? Indeed, was David someone it would have been wise to even
invite to dinner? The challenging arguments in "David's Secret
Demons are sure to provoke all kinds of discussion among biblical
scholars and general readers alike. In addition--a big
bonus--Halpern's accessible, at times humorous prose will itself
draw readers everywhere into the compelling story of David found
between these covers.
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