1.37 David and the Psalms
I finish my survey of the Book of Psalms. The psalms are replete with references to God as but one member of the pantheon of the ancient Canaanite religion, a god fighting the ancient sea monsters of ...
14 Aug 201627min
1.36 The Last Days of David
God commands David to conduct a census. God then punishes David for conducting a census. Like the rest of us, the Chronicler was mystified by this, and rewrote the story to introduce Satan. Modern arc...
31 Juli 201625min
1.35 Treachery in the House of David
The final portion of David's story is told in the court narrative or succession history. Who will follow David as king? In this story of intrigue, David's woes start with his murder of Uriah, followed...
17 Juli 201625min
1.34 David Triumphant
David and his field marshal Joab defeats Saul's son Ishbosheth and his general Abner. David retrieves the ark from the Philistines, to the displeasure of his wife Michal. God forges his fourth and fin...
3 Juli 201623min
1.33 From Bandit to King
With the support of the Philistines, David turns his bandit gang into a disciplined mercenary force. After Saul's death fighting David's patrons in battle at Mt Gilboa, David is made king of the south...
19 Juni 201624min
1.32 The Complicated Rise of David
Samuel manufactures reasons to condemn King Saul, and supplant him with David. Our two great sources, the Septuagint and the Masoretic text, have very different versions of David's complicated rise.
5 Juni 201627min
1.31 Samuel and the Tragedy of King Saul
King Saul becomes king of the Israelites, in four different ways. Samuel moves from being the last judge to the first prophet. I take the opportunity to introduce the Hebrew prophets, showing they wer...
22 Maj 201624min
1.30 Eli and Samuel, Last of the Judges
The priest Eli, guardian of the sacred Ark, sees his sacred charge captured by the Philistines. The Israelites are at their lowest point. Now arises Samuel to lift them from their moral depravity. In ...
8 Maj 201625min
