King David

At one stage, all the Psalms were attributed to King David, but now only about 73 Psalms have superscriptions identifying him as the putative author. Even some of the Psalms still attributed to David clearly make historical references that must place them long after the tenth century BCE.

Biblical scholars say that the Psalms were all written many centuries after the time of David.

There are two possible reasons for David having been anointed as the future king of Israel:

1. In 1 Samuel, God was angry with King Saul for disobeying Samuel's instructions to utterly destroy the Amaleks and all their animals, so David was chosen and then anointed by Samuel to replace Saul as king.
   
2. The Book of Chronicles contains no mention of why God anointed David and only mentions that the elders of Israel (not Samuel) joined in anointing David king by acclamation, in gratitude for his leadership under Saul.
   

A family tree really does look like an upside-down tree, with increasing numbers of descendants with each passing generation. The New Testament makes much of Jesus' supposed descent from David, as proof that he was destined for greatness. However scholars say that at that time, some two million Jews could probably have claimed descent from David. With the passing of a further two thousand years, the proportion of Jews who could claim descent from David has probably grown, even allowing for conversions to Judaism. The only doubt is whether there ever really was a King David at all.

Another side:

According to the Bible, the Messiah (the seed) would come through the line of Abraham (Genesis 12:3; Acts 3:25; Galatians 3:16), this line would continue through David and down through both Mary and Joseph. Genealogy was one of the many sources of proof that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah. Up until his coming, genealogy was very important for that reason, and records were kept very carefully (Matthew 1:1-16)(Luke 3:23-38). At the destruction of Jerusalem in 70CE, all genealogical records were destroyed, so, as mentioned, there may be some with a distant connection genealogically, but there is now NO proof of lineage to any of the tribes of Israel.

Another answer from our community:

Finkelstein reached this conclusion since, as defined by other archaeologists he is a revisionist who wishes to essentially 're-write history' and ignore proven evidence which stands in the museums of the world. He claims to disprove the Bible but either ignores or is ignorant of what the Bible actually says. This is how he is able to reach the conclusions he does.

The evidence is there but the shifting of the chronology makes the evidence not fit the time-frame of David and Solomon. Finkelstein knows this and so rather than re-examining the chronology, which would also incidentally synchronize better with the Hittite/Egypt chronology revision, he prefers to leave the 'chronology template' in position which makes it a mis-fit for the Biblical and other chronologies.

Another View:

Any answer that sees Finkelstein as a revisionist is really quite defensive and intellectually untenable. The very idea of archaeology is to improve and update our understanding of the past. Finkelsteins conclusions are based upon fieldwork, surveys, and research carried out by a large number of dedicated scientists who apply the scientific method and not value laden and dogmatic faith based systems to their work. The past is not yet, and will probably never be, "written in stone" and even current conclusions will be subject to change as evidence is found and studied. Any person who wishes to understand Finkelsteins work should read his publications and not the highly defensive but more importantly completely unscientific rantings of jilted ideologues for their answers.

One of the most important questions to consider is whether human history can exist without leaving footprints in the sand. Naturally, less remarkable activity and events will leave less evidence to be found in the future, while more remarkable activity and events MUST leave more evidence to be found. The lack of evidence supporting biblical activities and events that were not just remarkable but monumental to the recorded history in much of the Bible is glaring and even stunning. The kingdom of Solomon for instance was so important in the Bible and our understanding of the history of the region in as far as its scope and its description that the lack of archaeological evidence supporting its existence is a clear indication of the veracity of the information in the Bible. The same can be said for the lack of evidence within and without Egypt for the Exodus, the conquering of Canaan by Joshua, the united monarchy, the extent of King Davids kingdom, and on. Some events are quite simply too big to leave no evidence.

Yes, he was punished for having Uriah killed. His love child with Bathsheba died:-

2Sa 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

2Sa 12:14 Howbeit,... the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

2Sa 12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

2Sa 12:18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, thatthe child died....

However, God promised David that "the sword shall never depart from thine house":-

2Sa 12:9 ...[T]hou [David] hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword...

2Sa 12:10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

This happened: just as Uriah died violently, so was David's family to also die violently. In an average family if just one single person was murdered somewhere along the family-tree it would be noted and remembered by succeeding generations, but taken as bad-luck, or in the wrong place at the wrong time, or whatever. For multiple deaths to occur within one generation is abnormal, and even the agnostic of any civilization would have said David must have offended a god. David doted on his family, spoilt them, was not a good father to them, and did not "raise them up in the way they should go" as God, via Moses, had commanded His people to do. The liklihood of having 5 deaths of family or relatives is so remote as to be disregarded, but it happened.

In summary, David's daughter was raped by one of her brothers, who was killed by another brother, who was killed by his nephew, who was killed by another nephew, who was then executed, and David's wife's grandfather committed suicide.

Details follow :-

(1). David's daughter:

-Tamar was David's daughter and was raped by her brother Amnon:-

2Sa 13:11 ...he [Amnon] took hold of her [Tamar], and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.

2Sa 13:12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me...

2Sa 13:14 Howbeit he [Amnon] would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.

2Sa 13:22 And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

(2). David's son Amnon:-

Amnon was David's eldest son and was killed by Absalom:

2Sa 13:28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying...when I say unto you, Smite Amnon;then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? ...

2Sa 13:29 And the servants of Absalom did untoAmnon as Absalom had commanded...

2Sa 13:32 And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king's sons; for only Amnonis dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.

(3). David's son Absalom

Absalom was killed by Joab:-

2Sa 18:14 Then said Joab, I may not tarry thus with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom...

(4). David's son Adinijah

Adonijah was executed by Benaiah:-

1Ki 2:25 So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah, who went out and killed Adonijah.

(5). David's wife's then-husband

-Bathsheba was David's wife and David had her then-husband Uriah killed by the Ammonites:

2Sa 12:9 [T]hou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

(6). David's wife Bathsheba's grandfather [ie Ahithophel]:

Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam, and Eliam was the son of Ahithophel:

2Sa 11:3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

2Sa 23:34 ...Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

This meant Ahithophel was Bathsheba's grandfather which made him David's grandfather-in-law (and also David's son Absalom's chief counsellor).

Ahithophel committed suicide:-

2Sa 17:23 And when Ahithophel, saw that his counsel was not followed [by Absalom], he ... hanged himself, and died...

(7). Three of David's nephews (except Abishai)

David had 4 nephews: Abishai, Joab, Asahel, and Amasa.

1Ch 2:13 And Jesse begat ...

1Ch 2:15 ... David ...

1Ch 2:16 Whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah; Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel...

1Ch 2:17 And Abigail bare Amasa...

(8). Asahel was killed by Abner:-

2Sa 2:23 But Asahel would not quit; so Abner, with a backward thrust of his spear, struck him [Asahel] through the stomach so that the spear came out at his back. Asahel dropped to the ground dead...

(9). Abner was killed by Joab:-

2Sa 3:27 When Abner arrived in Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate... and there he stabbed him in the stomach. And so Abner was murdered because he had killed Joab's brother Asahel.

(10). Amasa was killed by Joab:-

2Sa 20:10 Amasa was not on guard against the sword that Joab was holding in his other hand, and Joab stabbed him in the belly, and his insides spilled out on the ground. He died immediately, and Joab did not have to strike again....

(11). Joab was executed by Benaiah :-

1Ki 2:34 So Benaiah went to the Tent of the LORD's presence and killed Joab ...

God's judgment was that the sword was never to leave David's house, or family.

Summary of what happened until 2 years after Solomon's accession to the throne:

David's daughter was raped by one of her brothers, who was killed by another brother, who was killed by his nephew, who was killed by another nephew, who was then executed, and David's wife's grandfather committed suicide: .

(12). What about the generations after David - did they die violently as well?

From David to Jesus the family line through the paternal line is as follows:-

Mat 1:7-12 [GNB] From David to the time when the people of Israel were taken into exile in Babylon, the following ancestors are listed: David, Solomon (his mother was the woman who had been Uriah's wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, and Jehoiachin and his brothers.

v. 8-11 (SEE 1:7)

v.12 From the time after the exile in Babylon to the birth of Jesus, the following ancestors are listed: Jehoiachin, Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob, and Joseph, who married Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was called the Messiah.

(a). Solomon [died an apostate]

(b). Rehoboam, [died naturally]

(c). Abijah, [died naturally]

(d). Asa, [did not die naturally]

2Ch 16:12 In the thirty-ninth year that Asa was king, he was crippled by a severe foot disease; but even then he did not turn to the LORD for help, but to doctors.

2Ch 16:13 Two years later he died

(e). Jehoshaphat, [died naturally]

(f). Jehoram, [did not die naturally]2Ch 21:18 Then after all this, the LORD brought on the king a painful disease of the intestines.

2Ch 21:19 For almost two years it grew steadily worse until finally the king died in agony. His subjects did not light a bonfire in mourning for him as had been done for his ancestors.

2Ch 21:20 ...Nobody was sorry when he died. They buried him in David's City, but not in the royal tombs.

(g). Uzziah, [did not die naturally]

2Ch 26:19 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, theleprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.

2Ch 26:20 And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.

2Ch 26:21 And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.

(h). Jotham, [died naturally]

(i). Ahaz, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

(j). Hezekiah, [life extended by 15 years by God]

(k). Manasseh, [died naturally]

(l). Amon, [did not die naturally: killed by his servants]

2Ch 33:24 And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.

(m). Josiah, [did not die naturally: killed in battle]

2Ch 35:23-24 And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded...and he died...

(n). Jehoiachin [died naturally]

Jer 52:31-32,34 ...in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin ...Evilmerodach king of Babylon ... brought him forth out of prison,

And spake kindly unto him,... and he did continually eat bread before him ....until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

(o). Shealtiel, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

(p). Zerubbabel, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

(q). Abiud, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

(r). Eliakim, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

(s). Azor, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

(t). Zadok, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

(u). Achim, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

(v). Eliud, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

(w). Eleazar, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

(x). Matthan, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

(y). Jacob, [Bible doesn't say how he died]

and

(z). Jesus, the Messiah. [did not die naturally: crucified]

There were 5 premature/ unnatural deaths in the paternal line from David to Christ:-

- (Asa, Jehoram, Uzziah, Amon, Josiah, Christ).

(The maternal line ie through Mary, from David to Jesus does not count.)

From David until 3 years after Solomon's accession to the throne

- 5 deaths in 20 years ie 1 death/ 4 years

From Solomon to Jesus the family line through the paternal line

- 6 deaths in 970 years ie 1 death/ 161 years

As a comparison, take the British kingly line from William the Conqueror to the accession of Queen Elizabeth 2.

The one unnatural/ premature death was Charles 1 (beheaded)

-1 death in 892 years ie 1 death/ 892 years

From this it can be seen that in the period of David's reign was far and away the most killings. Note that this judgment of God upon David's family was only during David's reign as Solomon was co-regent with David for a short time: when David died there were no more killings of his family. All David's sons who were alive at the time of the murder of Uriah were killed, but David's son Solomon was not killed because he was not born yet, David had repented of his sin, and God loved Solomon.

No. Abraham was the 'father' of the Jews, which grew to become a mighty nation, Moses was later given the Law by which they should be governed, and David (and other kings sitting on YHWH's throne) would later use this Law to rule these people according to God's will.

The 'Ten Commandments', which were part of the Law given to Moses, were dictated to Moses by God(Exodus 34:27+28) nearly 400 years before David was born(1107BCE) (Deuteronomy 17:14,15,18) . They were an important part of a Kings education if they were to rule over God's people. ALL the kings chosen to rule HAD to read and understand the 'Mosaic Law', using it to govern the people, as can be seen by David's words to his son, Solomon at 1 Kings 2:1-4.

Absalom's only likely competitor as successor to David was Amnon, who had died at Absalom's hand after the rape of Tamar. So Absalom served David faithfully for forty years, then decided to launch a coup against his father when David was near the end of his life (2 Samuel 15:7). There is no explanation for the heir to the kingdom to plan for so long and then launch a civil war when David was near the end of his reign and Absalom's inheritance would come soon anyway.

Absalom's attempted coup is followed with another uprising under a man called Sheba (2 Samuel chapter 20), then the remainder of 2 Samuel has a group of miscellaneous chapters out of context, clearly later insertions. These chapters include a famine, killing of giants, a psalm (Psalm 18), the purported last words of David and then a census undertaken by David. Removing chapters 21 to 24 leaves a coherent story line, from Absalom's attempted coup to Sheba's uprising, proof of David's senility, and another attempted coup by Adonijah, forestalled by the anointment of the younger son, Solomon, as king.

In the Deuteronomic History, the literary outcome of those coups was to explain the choice of Solomon as the successor to King David. However, the Book of Chronicles tells an entirely different and more peaceful story of the succession, omitting the attempted coups and the Sheba uprising. While still in apparent good health and not yet bed-ridden, David announced to the people of Israel that God had chosen Solomon to be his heir. This public declaration would have had the effect of preempting any attempt to overthrow David.