KING DAVID AND THE RABBIS

Rabbi Rifat Sonsino, Ph.D

In the Hebrew Bible, King David is portrayed as a military man, a national hero who killed the giant Goliath and went from being a simple shepherd to becoming the second king of Israel (10^th cent. BCE), but suffered personal tragedies and had a few moral failings.

In contrast, the ancient Rabbis had an idealized view of King David that was unrealistic. For example, we are told that a harp hung above David’s couch. When midnight arrived, it would swing. David would then rise and occupy himself with Torah study until dawn  (Ber. 3h). David was very modest. He would say, “I seek the honor of heaven and put aside my own honor” (Num R. 4:20). Absalom, David’s son, fell into evil ways, because his father refrained from chastising him for his disobedience (Ex. R. 1:1). Another Rabbi stated that in his army, David had 400 young squires who rode on golden chariots (Kid. 76b). God actually forgave David after he committed adultery with Batsheba (Shab.30a). King David is considered to be the author of the book of Psalms (BB 14b). In the distant future, say the rabbis , when the Messiah arrives to redeem all Jews, he will be a descendent of king David. Orthodox Jews still wait for the Messiah. Reform Jews do not, and use the term “messianic age,” to indicate a hope for an idealized society where true justice and peace will finally reign. 

 New Testament claims that Jesus was a descendent of David by adoption through Joseph and by blood through Mary (Rom. 1:3). In the Quran, David is considered a prophet ,a  messenger of Allah and the divinely anointed king of Israel as well as the author of the Zabur (Psalms). 

In reality, we have no archeological or textual proof that King David ever existed. However, given his prominence in the Bible, it is highly unlikely that he was only a literary figure. The only text we have that could possibly refer to  David as a person is the Tel Dan Stele, an Aramaic inscription written in the 9^th cent. BCE.  It mentions BTDVD, namely, Bet David, meaning, “the house of David.” Now, if there was a “house of David” it is assumed that there must have been a David at the beginning of the line. That’s all we have.