Some scholars think David was mythical king

[rusty charly]

Some scholars are busily debunking the Bible's account of the great King David, asking: Was he really all that great? Was he largely legendary, Judaism's version of Britain's legendary King Arthur, or totally fictional?

These matters are crucial not only for Jews but for Christians, since Jesus' biblical identity as the messiah stems from David's family line.

Skepticism about the Hebrew Bible's history was promoted to popular audiences in "The Bible Unearthed" (2001) by Tel Aviv University archaeologist Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman. Their most recent book focuses on "David and Solomon" (Free Press).

Though some scholars claimed David never existed, in 1993 archaeologists discovered a stone inscription from 835 B.C. that mentions "the house of David." The authors say that established the existence of a dynastic founder named David and that shortly after his 10th-century era a line of kings "traced their legitimacy back to David."

However, Finkelstein considers the Bible seriously distorted propaganda. He treats David as a minor bandit chieftain and Jerusalem as a hamlet, not an imperial capital. Supposedly, biblical authors concocted the grander David centuries afterward. The book also implies that his successor, Solomon, didn't build the Temple.

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060827/LIFE/608270320/1006/LIFE

[William769]

1. Everyone has an opinion, and we know what that means.

[Sherman A1]

2. Yup

But it is an interesting theory and could upset a few folks apple carts.

[eallen]

3. Why should one without expertise in ME archaeology have opinion on this?

I don't.

I do have an opinion on those who have an opinion on this from ignorance, often masked as faith. But that's an entirely different issue.

:hippie:

[William769]

4. Speaking of faith. I see no proof here.

Some people just like others people faiths a little better than others. Tit for tat.

[Hardrada]

5. I don't think any of that stuff ever happened.

Makes some good stories though and interesting poetical passages.

[Frances]

6. If Jesus was the result of a virgin birth,

and if Joseph played no part in impregnating Mary, then why is it important that Joseph was a descendant of David?

[NAO]

7. The Bible is PURE mythology through the Exile. (link on myth David)

King David: History or Myth?
http://www.askwhy.co.uk/judaism/0150David.html

A wealth of information (contents page with list of articles) on the Old Testament here:

How Darius Founded Judaism
http://www.askwhy.co.uk/judaism/index.html