Texts · 4 · David
The 'United Monarchy' was stitched together by scribes
Saul was likely a local ruler in Benjamin, and David a southern warlord in Judah. Later scribes combined their separate stories so that David inherits Saul's throne and unites North and South.
Merging two stories can make two peoples one.
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In the older account, David wins support not by appealing to a shared identity but by sharing war spoils with rival clans. The line 'we are your bone and flesh,' spoken by Israel's tribes, was added later to ground his kingship in kinship.
Bible reference: 2 Samuel 5:1
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 58–59
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