David, King of Israel, and Caleb in Biblical Memory - Softcover

Wright, Jacob L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1107672635 ISBN 13: 9781107672635

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2014

Synopsis

Of all the Bible's personalities, David is the most profoundly human. Courageous, cunning, and complex, he lives life to the hilt. Whatever he does, he does with all his might, exuding both vitality and vulnerability. No wonder it has been said that Israel revered Moses yet loved David. But what do we now know about the historical David? Why does his story stand at the center of the Bible? Why didn't the biblical authors present him in a more favorable light? And what is the special connection between him and Caleb – the Judahite hero remembered for his valor during the wars of conquest? In this groundbreaking study, Jacob L. Wright addresses all these questions and presents a new way of reading the biblical accounts. His work compares the function of these accounts to the role war memorials play over time. The result is a rich study that treats themes of national identity, statehood, the exercise of power, and the human condition.

About this title

About the Author

Dr Jacob L. Wright teaches Hebrew Bible and Jewish studies at Emory University, where he is a member of the faculty of distinction. His first book, Rebuilding Identity: The Nehemiah Memoir and its Earliest Readers, was awarded The John Templeton Award for one of the best first books in religion and theology. For his research on war commemoration, he received a prestigious faculty fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

From the Back Cover

"Another book on David? - Yes, but definitely one of the best. Jacob Wright, a leading scholar of international renown, has written an erudite and eminently readable book. He offers fresh and new insights about the construction of the biblical figure of David but also about the composition of the David narratives. Wright masterfully demonstrates the ambiguity of the biblical portrait of David and how it reflects different political and ideological aspirations. The challenging confrontation between the figures of Caleb and David offers a better understanding of the biblical views about kingship and military courage. A must read!"
- Thomas Römer, University of Lausanne and the Collège de France

"Jacob Wright combines a superb knowledge of the history of ancient Israel and a sensitive literary skill in reading the Bible to bring King David to life as a fascinating personality and extraordinary political leader. Beautifully written and with broad appeal, this is a landmark book in biblical scholarship."
- Susannah Heschel, Eli Black Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College

"Jacob Wright's erudite and illuminating book helps us understand the forces that shaped David's story, offering new and vivid readings of this most complex figure."
- Rabbi David Wolpe, author of the forthcoming David: The Divided Heart

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1107672635
• ISBN 13: 9781107672635
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 284