Ponder questions of the united monarchy under Saul and David in light of current historical and archaeological evidence Reconstructing the emergence of the Israelite monarchy involves interpreting historical research, approaching questions of ancient state formation, synthesizing archaeological research from sites in the southern Levant, and reexamining the biblical traditions of the early monarchy embedded in the books of Samuel and Kings. Integrating these approaches allows for a nuanced and differentiated picture of one of the most crucial periods in the history of ancient Israel. Rather than attempting to harmonize archaeological data and biblical texts or to supplement the respective approach by integrating only a portion of data stemming from the other, both perspectives come into their own in this volume presenting the results of an interdisciplinary Tübingen–Tel Aviv Research Colloquium. Features: Essays on Israel's monarchy by experts in biblical archaeology and biblical studies Methods for integrating archaeology and biblical traditions in reconstructing ancient Israel's history New research on the sociopolitical process of state formation in Israel and Judah

Power comprises one of the key topics of the book of Samuel. This theme encompasses tribal contentions, power differentials between religious authorities and kings, fathers and sons, men and women. The articles assembled here explore Israel's search for political identity and Samuel's critique of monarchy, the book's constructions of power and powerlessness, and the editors' and early audiences' postmonarchic reflections. Historical and social-scientific approaches to the book of Samuel find ancient Near Eastern parallels for the political organization of Israel and describe the social conditions under authoritarian regimes. Redactional approaches examine the diachronic development of Samuel's varying perceptions of monarchy, from that institution's inception through its entrenchment in Israelite and Judahite society, until it underwent a sudden, cataclysmic failure. And literary and theological approaches advocate for contemporary reconsideration and application of the book's more noble principles.

The Hebrew narrative art achieves its highest level in the stories of Saul, David, and Solomon. But beyond that, the description of these all-too-human characters and the dramatic events of the birth of the Israelite state depicts a change of eras that became determinative for half a millennium of Israelite history. In this volume Dietrich introduces readers to the stories of the early Israelite state from a variety of perspectives: literary-critical, historical, and theological. After tracing how biblical and extrabiblical texts describe the period, Dietrich skillfully untangles the knotty questions related to the history of the period and perceptively examines the development of this literary corpus as well as the other biblical material that came to be associated with it. In a concluding chapter Dietrich revisits the stories of Saul, David, and Solomon to explore what they teach about theological issues of enduring significance, what they teach about God, humanity, the state, the use of force, and the relationship between women and men.

The negative biblical presentation of King Saul of Israel has been biased in favour of David at the expense of Saul. This book presents a more positive picture and more realistic view of the culture of the period extending from Saul to the schism. Simcha Shalom Brooks explores a number of controversial issues such as the historicity of the biblical text on which so many modern scholars are sharply divided; that David was ambitious and coveted Saul's throne, and even though David became king, the people continued to support the house of Saul. This book makes a valuable contribution to the current biblical debate as to the existence of ancient Israel in the Iron Age 1 Period. Simcha Shalom Brooks draws on literary, historical and archaeological material to present a balanced view of the period.

This English translation of the second edition of Christian Frevel’s essential textbook Geschichte Israels (Kohlhammer, 2018) covers the history of Israel from its beginnings until the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–135 CE). Frevel draws on archaeological evidence, inscriptions and monuments, as well as the Bible to sketch a picture of the history of ancient Israel within the context of the southern Levant that is sometimes familiar but often fresh and unexpected. Frevel has updated the second German edition with the most recent research of archaeologists and biblical scholars, including those based in Europe. Tables of rulers, a glossary, a timeline of the ancient Near East, and resources arranged by subject make this book an accessible, essential textbook for students and scholars alike.

Preliminary Material -- The Nāgîd in Monarchic Israel -- Theories of Dynasty in Israel -- The Conceptual Background of the Ritual of Kingship -- The Pattern for Mundane Leadership in Israel -- The Royal Ritual -- Source Problems in the First Book of Samuel -- The Constitution of the Monarchy in Israel -- Epilogue -- Notes -- Bibliography.

The character of Saul and his place within the history, theology, and ideology of ancient Israel have fascinated interpreters for centuries. This book surveys the field of Saul studies. It includes in the first instance essays detailing Saul's place within the biblical narrative and its constituent parts (such as the Deuteronomistic History and the Chronicler's work). The possibility of identifying a Saulide period in the archaeological record is also discussed. A number of essays look at more specific themes and passages within the Saul cycle, such as his heroic nature, kingship, war, and literary balance. The final section of the book looks at the place of Saul within the post-biblical interpretative traditions, with essays devoted to Saul in the works of Josephus, in midrashic literature, in the Qur'an, in selected European literary texts, in the western artistic tradition, and in Handel's oratorio Saul. Contents: Carl S. Ehrlich: Introduction Avraham Faust: Settlement Patterns and State Formation in Southern Samaria and the Archaeology of (a) Saul Siegfried Kreuzer: Saul - not always - at War. A New Perspective on the Rise of Kingship in Israel Steven L. McKenzie: Saul in the Deuteronomistic History Yairah Amit: The Delicate Balance in the Image of Saul and Its Place in the Deuteronomistic History Gregory Mobley: Glimpses of the Heroic Saul Christophe Nihan: Saul among the Prophets (1 Sam 10:10-12 and 19:18-24). The Reworking of Saul's Figure in the Context of the Debate on Charismatic Prophecy in the Persian Era Mark W. Hamilton: The Creation of Saul's Royal Body. Reflections on 1 Samuel 8-10 Marsha C. White: Saul and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 1 and 14 Samuel A. Meier: The Sword. From Saul to David C. Mark McCormick: From Box to Throne. The Development of the Ark in DtrH and P Gary N. Knoppers: Israel's First King and the Kingdom of YHWH in the hands of the sons of David. The Place of the Saulide Monarchy in the Chronicler's Historiography Louis H. Feldman: Josephus' View of Saul Hanna Liss: The Innocent King. Saul in Rabbinic Exegesis Walid A. Saleh: What if you refuse, when ordered to fight? King Saul (Talut) in the Qur'an and Post-Quranic Literature Rudiger Bartelmus: Handel and Jennens' Oratorio Saul. A Late Musical and Dramatic Rehabilitation of the Figure of Saul, Misrepresented in theOld Testament as the Diametrical Opposite of David Sarah Nicholson: Catching the Poetic Eye. Saul Reconceived in Modern Literature Marc Michael Epstein: Seeing Saul