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9780195132731

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This is a fine and important work of scholarship, which is particularly welcome in today's climate, where many scholars are so negative about reconstructing the history of ancient Israel. McKenzie uses sober historical method to analyze the biblical texts, creating a vivid and plausible picture of King David. His use of archaeology, history, modern political analogies, and later retellings of the David story to bring to life a portrait of the king make this book particularly engaging. --Marc Brettler, Dept. of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Brandeis University McKenzie bursts the bubble of sanctity enveloping David in the tradition, and paints a picture of a real human being --David, the politician and state-builder. If you want a sense of the reality underlying the Bible's description, you can't do better than this book. --Baruch Halpern, Professor of Ancient History & Jewish Studies, Penn State University The conventional, laudatory image of David as a simple shepherd boy who courageously slew Goliath and rose to become Israel's greatest king despite some human failings is disputed by McKenzie.... His biography emphasizes the negative aspects of David's character and minimizes his achievements. --Publishers Weekly

Author Information

Steven L. McKenzie as an Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Rhodes College. His other books include The Hebrew Bible Today and All Gods Children: A Biblical Critique of Racism. He lives in Memphis.

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