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In spite of the account of David's life and exploits recorded in the Bible, some critics doubt that King David actually existed.
by Mario Seiglie
uddenly, as David and his men finished climbing the last hill, there it was, the mighty fortress of Jebus, later called Jerusalem. It was not then under Israelite control, but, as in the days of Joshua, the city was a stronghold of the Jebusites.
What chance did David have of conquering the city? Perhaps the reply of the Jebusites can give the best indication. They taunted him: "'You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,' thinking, 'David cannot come in here'" (2 Samuel 5:6). They were so confident of their impenetrable stronghold, they shouted to David they would not even put their best men on the walls to defend the city, but would man them with the weakest and most sickly among them.
Yet, as often happens in life and warfare, in their confidence, they overlooked a weak spot that would prove fatal. At the bottom of the hill of the city was a cave that had a natural spring inside. Since water was so vital, the Jebusites had dug a shaft downward to tap this water. David realized that, if someone could go up the shaft, he could secretly enter the city and open the doors. David said: "Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites ... shall be chief and captain ... Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David ..." (2 Samuel 5:8,9). The parallel account in 1Chronicles 11:6 adds: "And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and became chief."
David's soldiers conquered Jerusalem. Soon David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, setting the stage for the construction of the temple under Solomon. In so doing, David gave his people a rallying point they have looked to for centuries.
Thus, around the year 1000 B.C., Jerusalem became Israel's capital and David its first king. This water shaft, which enabled David to capture the city, can still be seen by modern-day visitors.
In spite of the account of David's life and exploits recorded in the Bible, some critics doubt that King David actually existed. As one of them candidly admits, "I am not the only scholar who suspects that the figure of King David is about as historical as King Arthur" (Philip R. Davies, Biblical Archaeology Review, July-August, 1994, p. 55). Recently, however, archaeological discoveries have verified that David, king of Israel, was indeed a real historical figure.
In 1993 a fragment of a monument was found at the site of the ancient Israelite city of Dan that mentioned David and his dynasty dating to about 100 years after David's death. As Biblical Archaeology Review reports: "Avraham Biran and his team of archaeologists found a remarkable inscription from the 9th century (B.C.) that refers both to the 'House of David' and to the 'King of Israel.' This is the first time that the name David has been found in any ancient inscription outside the Bible. That the inscription refers not simply to a 'David' but to the House of David, the dynasty of the great Israelite king, is even more remarkable" (March-April, 1994, p. 26).
Then another mention of King David was found in a monument of about the same time. It is called the Moabite Stone or the Mesha Stela. Discovered in 1868, unfortunately it was broken into pieces and it has taken much time and effort to piece together the original words. In 1995 scholar Andre Lemaire finally put it all together and discovered the words "House of David." In line 31 of the Moabite Stone are the words "... the sheep of the land. And the house (of Da)vid dwelt in Horonen" (Biblical Archaeology Review, May-June, 1994, p. 33).
The article continues: "The recent discovery at Tel Dan of a fragment of a stela containing a reference to the 'House of David' (that is, the dynasty of David) is indeed sensational and deserves all the publicity it has received. The Aramaic inscription, dated to the ninth century (B.C.), was originally part of a victory monument erected at Dan, apparently by an enemy of both the 'King of Israel' (also referred to in the fragment) and the '(King of the) House of David.' The inscription easily establishes the importance of Israel and Judah on the international scene at this time-no doubt to the chagrin of those modern scholars who maintain that nothing in the Bible before the Babylonian exile can lay claim to any historical accuracy ... Nearly two years before the discovery of the Tel Dan fragment, I (Lemaire) concluded that the Mesha stela contains a reference to the 'House of David.' Now the Tel Dan fragment tends to support this conclusion" (ibid., pp. 31, 32).
Slowly, as more excavations bring to light new material, the biblical record continues to gain solid historical backing. So far, archaeology has confirmed the existence of the following kings of Israel and Judah: Omri, Ahab, Jeroboam II, Jehu, Pekah, Hoshea, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Manasseh. Now David is also placed in this growing list of historically confirmed kings and no longer viewed as a myth. GN
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