Saul and the Monarchy A New Look [Hardcover]

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.Contents: Preface; Ancient Israel: fiction or historical reality?; Introduction to the emergence of monarchy; Saul and the Deuteronomist; Saul and David; King Saul: origins and achievements; Gibeah of Saul; From Saul to the Schism; Summary and conclusions; Bibliography; Indexes.Dr Simcha Shalom Brooks is a member of the Society for Old Testament Study. She is a graduate of University College London and completed her Ph.D. on King Saul in 1997. She has held several teaching posts and is now an independent scholar.