David's Secret Demons: Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King (Bible in Its World (Paperback)) Paperback – November 12, 2003

A sea of works imagining themselves as "biographies" of King David have made an appearance of late, mostly the works of non-scholars who ranging from mediocre to execrable. As a group, these tend to fit into the take a character from the Bible and put them on the couch approach, a fate suffered first by Moses and now by Israel's second king. From that morass comes this fine book, by thoughtful and able biblical scholar Baruch Halpern, one which should be read by any interested in the field.Halpern neither seeks to bury David nor to praise him. Instead, he takes a textual approach, examining Samuel carefully and often in comparison with the royal accounts of other contemporaneous Levantine kingdoms. Thus, instead of taking the rather sophomoric and ultimately useless method of holding a 3,000 year old character up to ridicule and condemnation based on modern ethical notions, Halpern examines King David within his own literary idiom. Some may find this a less than thrilling read, but it accomplishes a useful goal. Thus, we can understand what parts of David's record count as his successes and where, following the style particular to his time, the text is covering for his failures.Of course it is not David's military or foreign accomplishments that render him for many a subject of such great interest, but instead his personal and political life which, as so often proves true among royals, proved so intertwined as to be a single rope. To the end of untangling this knotty subject, Halpern again reads the text closely and makes many logical assumptions leading to interesting, if often disquieting theories. Readers inclined to take Samuel as gospel, pardon the pun, will find their blood pressure rising at many suggestions offered, but then again, even the most cursory reading of Samuel demonstrates that David can hardly be seen as a paragon of virtue. However, unlike Mckenzie's "biography," which portrayed Saul's successor as a sociopath with a gift for music, sort of a cross between Ted Bundy and Marc Cohn, Halpern renders an image of David for what he likely was, a late bronze/early iron age leader using the acceptable means of his day to consolidate power and strengthen his kingdom.Readers may have an easier time accepting some of Halpern's conclusions then others. That David's enemies seem to time and again suffer violent deaths even as the text over and over again insists that he is blameless makes it easy to believe that the Book of Samuel "doth deny too much." His assertion that the relationship between David and Jonathan is a fiction to strengthen David's claim to the throne, while also logical, lacks the same strength of argument. Another presentation of a scholarly theory currently of high currency, that David's whole Tribe of Judah are of late constitution and not part of the original Tribal confederacy presented in the Bible, will upset many, but even those rejecting this argument should at least be able to admit that it is interesting. Rather than taking the churlish approach of simply throwing up ones hands and rejecting these ideas because "the bible doesn't say so" readers should try and attempt to look at the evidence and undermine the argument on its own terms.No matter ones personal religious stripe, Professor Halpern has produced a thoughtful and scholarly work, one worthy of deep consideration and analysis. Those interested in the subject who let them selves be put off by its often thick prose and occasional digressions will regret their failure to explore "David's Secret Demons."

poorly written -

The book was bought used, but it was in great condition. I was very pleased

©® Bowden's Masonry/Another Day Music/Designing By Grace

Not what I was looking for. Try writing about Golf.

Totally satisfied. The book arrived ahead of schedule and was in good condition. I would buy from this supplier again.

This is a somewhat difficult but interesting reconstruction of David's life. In the wake of battles over the historicity of David, the extent of his kingdom, and dates of the sources about him in the Deuteronomistic History, Halpern offers his own unique and historically acuminious twist on the discussion.The historicity of David can hardly be doubted. It may have been easier to deny the historicity of David before the 1993 discovery of the 9th century bce Tel Dan stele, but that artifact has made it virtually impossible. The story of David's life also reads clearly like a political apology for David's exploits. It attempts to rebut the claims, among others, that he butchered the family of Saul in order to usurp the throne, that he orchestrated the murder of some of his own children, and whitewashes his alliances with Israel's archenemy, the Philistines.Needless to say, making an apology for a nonexistent figure, or a belated one for a figure distantly removed from the time and circumstances of the writer would be futile. The texts about David must have been written shortly after his reign by Solomon's courtiers. The negative picture that emerges of David from Halpern's analysis guarantees his historicity. David's career is characterized by bloody violence and intrigue. In all probability, he was a ruthless killer, brigand, and defector--charges contemporary with his life that the early portions of the books of Samuel try to explain away. As Halpern writes in rebuttal of an analogy, the nature of the apology 'is strong evidence that David is historical, but equally strong evidence that he was unsavory. So when "minimalists" compare his image to that of King Arthur, differences are immediately apparent: Arthurian legend does not convict him as a murderer, and does not spend most of its time apologizing for the fact that his enemies keep dying violently.' (76)There's much to take away from this book. It is replete with thoughtful, penetrating and witty analysis of David's life and the construction of Israelite statehood. Halpern writes as a brilliant exegete and historian. The treatment will infuriate devotional believers and challenge scholars of all kinds, but it cannot be missed!

I bought David's Secret Demons because I needed it for research, and it certainly didn't disappoint. I am writing about this period and needed to understand more about a) the political setting and b) the mind of the man. Maybe also if David was a fictional character (I don't think so) as this would give me more freedom to write my own historical fiction. Halpern provides answers in spades. Excellent.  LibertasLibertas

Great scholarship but a little too detailed for the average reader.

Cheap, cheap,cheap!