Solomon, David and Israel

Paper Summary:

Looks at the differing historical assessments of the nature of Israel during the rules of David and Solomon and whether Israel could be classified as a kingdom during those times. Examines both the traditional view, where David and Solomon are considered central to Jewish history, and the position taken by a group called the "new archaeologists" who claim that David and Solomon were, at best, small-time leaders of local tribes.

From the Paper:

"Such an analysis is more a matter of commentary on the text than any sort of historical analysis because until recently there was little clear evidence that David or Solomon even existed, and many scholars have claimed that they did not. Under the traditional view, David and Solomon are considered central to Jewish history. A group known as the "new archaeologists" claim that David and Solomon were at best small-time leaders of local tribes, making the greatness of Israel under their leadership is a matter of exaggeration. For instance, they doubt that Solomon ever built the great temple as described in the Bible. These scholars are also known as the "minimalists" because they believe in a minimal interpretation of the evidence available about ancient Israel."

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