Reading between and behind the lines of the biblical text and its silences, Baden gives an engaging reconstruction of who the true David may have been. This is a brilliant synthesis, with some unexpected and even daring twists of interpretation. A tour de force!” — Michael Coogan, Harvard Divinity School lecturer, Director of Publications for the Harvard Semitic Museum and editor of The New Oxford Annotated Bible
“This revisionist take on King David—as brilliant politician but despicable human being—combines the best of historical study and literary imagination. Baden’s challenge to traditional understandings of Israel’s king is always provocative, often compelling, and completely fascinating.” — Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University and author of The Misunderstood Jew
“An invigoratingly grown-up reading of the Bible, taking it seriously but not literally.... David emerges no longer as the author of the Psalms or the slayer of Goliath, yet Baden’s scholarly analysis leaves the usurper-King as one of the most crucial shapers of world history.” — Diarmaid MacCulloch, Professor of the History of the Church, University of Oxford, author of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years
“[Baden] succeeds positively, powerfully, and persuasively in locating Israel’s once and future king as an actual historical figure. The multiple layers of fact and fiction, history and theology are cleanly and clearly distinguished but without either modern apologetics or contemporary polemics.” — John Dominic Crossan, author of The Historical Jesus
“Lively.…This is a provocative book that raises questions about the nature of biblical narrative and also about the historical continuity of the Davidic line.” — John J. Collins, Holmes Professor of Old Testament, Yale University
“All praise be—again—to those biblical studies scholars who can make ancient history matter and can shed light on long–held beliefs. In clear prose and with a documented command of what others have said before him, Baden offers a provocative reinterpretation of one of Western culture’s heroes.” — Publishers Weekly
“For readers open to debating this beloved biblical figure, The Historical David will make compelling reading.” — Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Utterly fascinating and written with sublime lucidity. — Booklist, starred review
Utterly fascinating and written with sublime lucidity.
This revisionist take on King David—as brilliant politician but despicable human being—combines the best of historical study and literary imagination. Baden’s challenge to traditional understandings of Israel’s king is always provocative, often compelling, and completely fascinating.
An invigoratingly grown-up reading of the Bible, taking it seriously but not literally.... David emerges no longer as the author of the Psalms or the slayer of Goliath, yet Baden’s scholarly analysis leaves the usurper-King as one of the most crucial shapers of world history.
10/07/2013
For readers open to debating this beloved biblical figure, The Historical David will make compelling reading.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Lively.…This is a provocative book that raises questions about the nature of biblical narrative and also about the historical continuity of the Davidic line.
[Baden] succeeds positively, powerfully, and persuasively in locating Israel’s once and future king as an actual historical figure. The multiple layers of fact and fiction, history and theology are cleanly and clearly distinguished but without either modern apologetics or contemporary polemics.
Reading between and behind the lines of the biblical text and its silences, Baden gives an engaging reconstruction of who the true David may have been. This is a brilliant synthesis, with some unexpected and even daring twists of interpretation. A tour de force!
An invigoratingly grown-up reading of the Bible, taking it seriously but not literally.... David emerges no longer as the author of the Psalms or the slayer of Goliath, yet Baden’s scholarly analysis leaves the usurper-King as one of the most crucial shapers of world history.
Di armaid MacCullochProfessor of the History of the Church
10/01/2013
2013-09-15The Promise to the Patriarchs , 2013, etc.) sets out to thoroughly upend the story of King David. The author asserts that the entirety of the biblical account about David was written for the sole purpose of legitimizing and glorifying a man who was, in fact, a thug, murderer and usurper. Baden begins by rejecting fundamental tales about David's youth--e.g., that he played music for King Saul, slew Goliath and was anointed by the Prophet Samuel. He then theorizes that David was a minor officer in Saul's army who decided to overthrow the king, a coup that completely failed. Forced to live on the run, David nonetheless managed to gain a following and become a leader of the opposing Philistines, eventually bringing about Saul's downfall. Baden portrays David as ruthless and cunning, willing to kill anyone who got in his way, his own children included. As a final twist to the story, the author declares the story of David and Bathsheba, as it has been known for centuries, to be almost entirely fictional. He declares that Solomon was not David's son and in fact took the kingship from David against his will as David was dying. Solomon's own partisans made up the lurid story of David and Bathsheba to make Solomon appear to be a legitimate king by birth. Though certain theories, taken individually, have credence, Baden's front-to-back rewriting of David's life as a lurid soap opera will leave many readers mystified. Baden views the Bible as one rambling piece of propaganda: "Not a word of the David story--and perhaps the entire Bible--is intended solely to describe things as they truly were." Baden ensures readers will see things his way by declaring anything that refutes his thesis to be "unverifiable." And, no surprise, there's a lot of that. This unflattering portrait of King David is a hard pill to swallow.
