About book David And Solomon: In Search Of The Bible's Sacred Kings And The Roots Of The Western Tradition (2007)
The authors have put together research from a variety of disciplines to explore the Biblical stories of David and Solomon. They clearly present their findings.While I was aware that the stories were spread over a number of books, I was not aware that the presentation changed. I presume that the story I learned in Sunday School was the one in Chronicles.Like the Biblical record of Jesus, the records of David and Solomon were written at minimum 100 years after the events. I had never thought to question "why" they were written. The authors suggest that texts were written to elevate the Davidic successors, or Judah. If this is so, the intended audience would have a cultural ethic that would admire the cave living Robin Hood/bandit, the keeping of wives and concubines, the story of Bathsheba and her husband's fate. These are hardly the values of today's Judeo-Christian ethic.The book discusses the influence of David and Solomon on art and on governmental theories. It's a stretch to say that this book "traces" them, which I believe would require a separate book (or multi-volume set). I think the material given on this is just enough for the scope of this volume.The power of this book is its citation of the Biblical text, side by side with maps and research findings. Each chapter begins with a chart capsulizing the story, the historical period and the archeological findings. This clearly tells the reader what will be developed in the chapter, and the promise is fulfilled.The writers and the book designers are in synch, (so often books are rushed and maps appear pages beyond their narrative) and very clear maps and tables appear along side the narrative they illustrate.One area that the author's present without comment is that the Queen of Sheba is from Yemen. If you ask, most American Blacks will tell you she was from Ethiopia. (The eastern most part of this African region is separated from Yemen by a narrow straight.) Researchers who have ignored the oral traditions of Thomas Jefferson's progeny have had to deal with recent DNA testing. Has forensic research verified the location of Sheba in Yemen? This was an excellent book. It's brings together the work of thousands of people from many disciplines. I hope in a few years there is a update.
Finkelstein and Silberrman undertook a controversial task in writing this book. Fact and fiction have plagued biblical scholars for decades if not centuries. The battle between Biblical maximalists and minimalists continues. If judged but its written style, the book deserves a 5-star rating, but considering its rejection of Biblical descriptions of the titled kings, I elected to go with 4-stars. A case in point is the famous Sheshonuq-I relief from the temple of Amun at Karnak in upper Egypt. Even after admitting the doubtful dates of the relief concerning the Egyptian campaign to the highlands north of Jerusalem, the authors used it as proof that King Saul fought the Egyptians and not the Philistines in the northern highlands, contradicting the story as written in the book of Samue-l.The authors present their case against King David in a way that would upset many readers. They claim that David was a bandit who betrayed Judea by fighting on the side of the Philistine King of Gat, and eventually overthrew King Saul to claim his throne.The authors get credit for highlighting the fact that archaeologists have not been able to dig on the Jerusalem Temple mount. It is the only place where artifacts and structures can reveal information on the first Temple built by King Solomon. However, access is blocked by the Moslem's authority who have complete control on the Dome of the Rock and who have dug up and destroyed evidence of Jewish presence on the mount. Visitors who enter the digging outside the Western wall can look down into a deep hole and see a small remain of the first Temple, but that is outside the Temple Mount. Future archaeological digs may provide information that Finkelstein and Silberman had no access to.
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A Finkelstein book will be controversial; let’s establish that up front. And because there exists very literal archaeological evidence outside the Bible story of Judah’s first kings, speculation will be a natural result of any such study. We know absolutely nothing from history about Saul and precious little about David and Solomon; in fact, the evidence is so sparse that a few scholars still doubt the existence of all three.Finkelstein and Silberman don’t doubt, but neither are they able to provide 342 pages of historical analysis. Instead, they trace the legends of these early kings through a thousand years of Hebrew writings, both in and out of the Bible. The earliest folklore and Bible verses about David show him as a bandit leader of a small gang of traveling raiders. Later authors portrayed David as a poet and a founder of a great dynasty, as well as a sinner. Solomon’s reputation, as well, grew over time into a shrewd trader and wise sage.How many of these writings are based on fact, and how many on legend? The authors’ scholarly research and field experience will make you reconsider.
—Lee Harmon
A detailed consideration of what archeology, biblical texts and scholarship, and historical records tell us about these two figures, why they were represented in the bible as they are, whether they are historical figures (the authors say yes, but not as seen in the bible), and why they have been so influential in Western and Abrahamic history. For me, the authors' "The Bible Unearthed" is the more fascinating read, as it covers the whole Hebrew Bible; the stories of David and Solomon have never captured my imagination.
—Sally
I enjoyed this book when I read it. It offers a very good analysis of David, his early life which the author speculates looked more like a warlord or brigand than a devoted servant of Saul. I also liked the general thesis that much of the court life drama of Davids life was drawn from the court legends of the northern Kingdom rather than the early days of Judah and Jerusalem. The second half of the book on Solomon is more scattered and less well documented or written, though I think that was also a tactical move on the author's part, since the Solomon depicted in the Bible is more legend than fact. I have since read several articles that throw a very skepitical eye on the author's thesis, but his own research is well founded and interesting. Definitely worth the read.
—Michael
