Politics · 18 · Hannah and Samuel
The Bible's kings are all too human
Saul and David are among the most human figures in the Bible. Their bloody, messy paths to power undercut any claim that kings are sacred or self-sufficient.
The Bible cut kingship down to size.
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Even David's victory over Goliath is credited to God: 'I come to you in the name of Yhwh.' His later years include sending Israel to war while he sleeps with a soldier's wife and has the soldier killed. Like Shakespeare, the scribes exposed their heroes.
Bible reference: 1 Samuel 17:45; 2 Samuel 11
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 294–295
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