Nadene Goldfoot
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King David (1010-970 BCE) born 1,015 years ago, was the real McCoy! Israel's history is recorded in the Old Testament Bible for starters. Jewish history can start from there and work backwards, tracing facts and people up to King David.
King David , a central figure in the Old Testament, was a shepherd, musician, warrior, and king of Israel. He's known for his courage in defeating Goliath, his leadership in uniting the tribes of Israel, and his close relationship with God. While celebrated for his piety and musical abilities (particularly his psalms), he was also depicted as a flawed human, struggling with personal failings and political intrigues.
He was a great warrior with hair the color of gingy (ginger). So he had either red-hairor auburn hair.
1. Tel Dan Stele: One notable resource that refers to King David outside of the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) is the Tel Dan Stele.
- Tel Dan Stele: This is an ancient inscription found in northern Israel, dating to the 9th century BCE, which is about 150 years after the time of King David. It was discovered in 1993 and contains a reference to the "House of David". This inscription, written by a king of Aram (Syria today) who was celebrating a military victory, suggests the existence of a Davidic dynasty and is considered by many scholars to be the earliest extra-biblical evidence supporting the existence of King David as a historical figure. Empire of David and son Solomon; notice Philistines not a part as yet, Miggada
- is a city on green area as Syria (Aram) is to the north with Damascus. Hazor is on
- map, most northward of Israel.
- According to the Hebrew Bible, David and his house—his descendants—were appointed by God to rule all Israel (
2Sam 7:1-17 ). The term “Israel” here encompasses a united kingdom that included both the tribe of Judah in the south, David’s home territory where he first came to power, and the ten northern tribes of Israel, where Saul ruled before David took over his kingdom. After the death of David’s son and heir Solomon, the tribes of Israel split from the united kingdom, and thus, beginning with David’s grandson Rehoboam, the house of David ruled only Judah, with its capital in Jerusalem. The Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. and the exile of the last Davidic kings, Jehoiakin and Zedekiah, ended the Davidic monarchy.
The "King of Aram" refers to rulers of the ancient kingdom of Aram, which corresponds roughly to modern-day Syria and parts of Turkey. The Arameans, the people of Aram, were a Semitic group who played a significant role in the history of the region.
More specifically, the term "Aram" is often associated with the kingdom of Aram-Damascus, which was centered around the city of Damascus. Therefore, the king of Aram would be the ruler of this region in ancient times, and today, that area is primarily within the modern nation of Syria.
While the Tel Dan Stele is arguably the most direct evidence, other ancient inscriptions and archaeological discoveries may also offer context and potential support for the historical existence of King David and his kingdom:
- 2. Mesha Stele: Does the Mesha Stele mention King David of the Bible in its 31st line? Scholars André Lemaire and Jean-Philippe Delorme think the “House of David” reading can now be confirmed. Photo: Mbzt 2012 / CC by 3.0.
- This Moabite inscription from the 9th century BCE also potentially mentions the "House of David". While the relevant part of the inscription is damaged and subject to debate, recent studies using advanced imaging techniques have strengthened the possibility of this reference.The Mesha Stele, also known as the Moabite Stone, is a stele dated around 840 BCE containing a significant Canaanite inscription in the name of King Mesha of Moab (a kingdom located in modern Jordan).
- Mesha tells how Chemosh, the god of Moab, had been angry with his people and had allowed them to be subjugated to the Kingdom of Israel, but at length, Chemosh returned and assisted Mesha to throw off the yoke of Israel and restore the lands of Moab.
- The stele, whose story parallels, with some differences, an episode in the Bible's Books of Kings (2 Kings 3:4–27), provides invaluable information on the Moabite language and the political relationship between Moab and Israel at one moment in the 9th century BCE. It is the most extensive inscription ever recovered that refers to the kingdom of Israel (the "House of Omri"); it bears the earliest certain extrabiblical reference to the Israelite God Yahweh.[9][8] It is also one of four known contemporaneous inscriptions containing the name of Israel, the others being the Merneptah Stele, the Tel Dan Stele, and one of the Kurkh Monoliths. Its authenticity has been disputed over the years, and some biblical minimalists suggest the text was not historical, but a biblical allegory. The stele itself is regarded as genuine and historical by the vast majority of biblical archaeologists today.
- Archaeological Excavations in Jerusalem: Excavations in the area known as the City of David have revealed significant structures from the Iron Age, including a large stone structure believed by some archaeologists, like Eilat Mazar, to be the remains of King David's palace. However, this interpretation is also debated among scholars. Khirbet Qeiyafa Western Gate
- 3. Judahite Cities: Discoveries at sites like Khirbet Qeiyafa, a fortified city dating to the 10th century BCE, provide evidence of a centralized state in the region around the time of King David.A number of archaeologists, mainly the two excavators, Yosef Garfinkel and Saar Ganor, have claimed that it might be one of two biblical cities, either Sha'arayim, whose name they interpret as "Two Gates", because of the two gates discovered on the site, or Neta'im; and that the large structure at the center is an administrative building dating to the reign of King David, where he might have lodged at some point. This is based on their conclusions that the site dates to the early Iron IIA, ca. 1025–975 BCE a range which includes the biblical date for the biblical Kingdom of David. On July 18, 2013, the Israel Antiquities Authority issued a press release about the discovery of a structure believed to be King David's palace in the Judean Shephelah. The archaeological team uncovered two large buildings dated to the tenth century BCE, one a large palatial structure and the other a pillared store room with hundreds of stamped storage vessels. The claim that the larger structure may be one of King David's palaces led to significant media coverage, while skeptics accused the archaeologists of sensationalism. Aren Maeir, an archaeologist at Bar Ilan University, pointed out that some scholars believe the buildings could be Philistine or Canaanite. The massive structure located on a hill in the center of the city was decorated with alabaster imported from Egypt. On one side it offered a view of the two city gates, Ashdod and the Mediterranean, and on the other, the Elah Valley. During the Byzantine era, a wealthy farmer built a home on the site, cutting the palace in two.What is clear is that Khirbet Qeiyafa continues to spark scholarly debate about its function and importance. Was Qeiyafa one of the last Canaanite strongholds, or does the fort’s proximity to Jerusalem indicate that it was a fortified citadel from the time of King David? Or, as is now suggested by Ussishkin, was the site a unique cultic compound from the tenth century? The debate will no doubt continue.
It is important to note that a comprehensive biography of King David outside of the biblical accounts remains elusive, and scholars continue to discuss and debate the interpretation of archaeological findings.
Biblical Sources: 
- 1 and 2 Samuel: Samuel (chaps 1-7); Saul (8-31) and David (16 ff) These books provide the foundational narrative of David's life, from his anointing as a shepherd boy to his rise as king, including his battles, personal struggles (like the Bathsheba incident), and consolidation of the Israelite kingdom. (Tells of history of Israelites from period of Judges to last days of David.) Differs in content from Septuagint and Vulgate who divide the book into two; Hebrew tradition is one work. The Septuagint and the Vulgate are both
- important translations of the Bible, but they differ in
- language and origin. The Septuagint is a Greek translation
- of the Hebrew Bible, while the Vulgate is a Latin translation,
- primarily based on the Septuagint for the Old
- Testament. The debate around the translation of Mary being a virgin in the Bible centers on the Hebrew word 'almah" in Isaiah 7:14, which some argue means "young woman" rather than "virgin". This word was translated into Greek as parthenos (virgin) in the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament. This translation choice, and its subsequent use in the New Testament, is debated as possibly being a mistranslation or an intentional interpretation to support the concept of the virgin birth.
- 1 Chronicles: This book largely repeats information from 1 and 2 Samuel, providing an additional, potentially later, account of David's reign and lineage.
- Psalms: Many psalms are attributed to David, reflecting his personal experiences, emotional depth, and devotion to God.
References:
The New Standard Jewish Encylopedia
Tanach--the Torah/Prophets/writings 24 books of the Bible
https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/55520/does-the-latin-vulgate-
propagate-a-translation-error-in-genesis-315#:~:text=Yes%2C%20the%20Latin%20
Vulgate%20has,first%20300%20-%20400%20hundred%20year
