King David: The Real Life of the Man Who Ruled Israel

A partir principalmente de los libros de Samuel, se hace una recreación lineal de la vida de David con inclusiones esporádicas de ciertos relatos contenidos en estos. Básicamente tenemos aquí los libros de Samuel explicados. No tiene, como el título sugiere, ningún aporte de alguna otra fuente o de algún hallazgo contemporáneo, solo la narración de quien se estudió estos libros. No obstante lo anterior, el libro es muy ameno y sirve para lo que los libros deben servir: entretener y enseñar. Y el autor evita a toda costa ofender a los lectores y mas bien intenta explicar las contradicciones encontradas a lo largo de la narración original

"King David" introduces the reader to the most central figure of the Old Testament. Author Jonathan Kirsch does an excellent job of fleshing out this legendary figure from the sketchy stories recorded in the Bible. Kirsch follows the biblical writings very closely, unlike other tomes on Biblical subjects which tend to discount the Scriptural accounts. Kirsch starts out with the Scriptural texts and then explains then in light of scholarship concerning the identity and purpose of the various sources and how each may have influenced the final draft of the story. He talks often of the Court Historian, believed to be the primary author, along with later editors who may have supplemented or altered the original text. This book does a good job at exploring how King David, with all his faults, could be "A man after God's own heart." It tries to part the mists of history to find the flesh and blood man behind the ancient legend. It weaves the scattered Biblical accounts together to form a biography. It explains how David is central to all Biblical characters who follow him. One standard by which I measure a book is whether it wets my appetite to read more on the subject. I am now reading the David narratives in the Bible. By this measure it passes with flying colors.

"King David" introduces the reader to the most central figure of the Old Testament. Author Jonathan Kirsch does an excellent job of fleshing out this legendary figure from the sketchy stories recorded in the Bible. Kirsch follows the biblical writings very closely, unlike other tomes on Biblical subjects which tend to discount the Scriptural accounts. Kirsch starts out with the Scriptural texts and then explains them in light of scholarship concerning the identity and purpose of the various sources and how each may have influenced the final draft of the story. He talks often of the Court Historian, believed to be the primary author, along with later editors who may have supplemented or altered the original text. This book does a good job at exploring how King David, with all his faults, could be "A man after God's own heart." It tries to part the mists of history to find the flesh and blood man behind the ancient legend. It weaves the scattered Biblical accounts together to form a biography. It explains how David is central to all Biblical characters who follow him. One standard by which I measure a book is whether it wets my appetite to read more on the subject. I am now reading the David narratives in the Bible. By this measure it passes with flying colors.

This is the perfect educational book -- reads like a novel, but is highly instructive about life in biblical times, biblical analysis, and the meaning of this critical figure in our current times. Fascinating! It has inspired me to read the bible!

Serious scholarship and so much more. Jonathan Kirsch brings the Bible to life. His David is a real man, charismatic, violent and lusty. "He is the original alpha male, the kind of man whose virile ambition always drives him to the head of the pack. He is the first stuperstar..." This is a great story of love, tragedy and power politics. It shows us a leader both sacred and profane. This well-researched book gives us a fresh insight into Bible. A masterful achievement.