David Remembered
Kingship and National Identity in Ancient Israel
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Published: 2013
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Publisher's Description
Examines the David theme in the collective mind of ancient Israel and the early churchIn this follow-up study to Judaism, The First Phase, Joseph Blenkinsopp traces the development of traditions about David in the collective memory of the people of Israel and the first Christians, from the extinction of the Davidic dynasty in the sixth century B.C.E. to the early common era. David Remembered is neither a biography of David nor an exegetical study of the biblical narrative about David. Rather, it focuses on the memory of David as a powerful factor in the formation of social identity, in political activity (especially in reaction to imperial rule), and in projections of the future viewed as the restoration of a never-forgotten past.
Endorsements (5)
“A wide-ranging exploration of the afterlife of David and the Davidic dynasty in both history and Scripture. Blenkinsopp's work is, as usual, careful and yet bubbling with new ideas and proposals. An intriguing investigation.”
“In lucid and accessible language but with his characteristic deep learning and eminently good judgment, Joseph Blenkinsopp traces the development of Jewish thinking about God's promise to David in periods that are crucial for Judaism and Christianity alike and yet underappreciated outside the academy. Both those familiar with the texts he discusses and those unfamiliar with them will find this book illuminating and rewarding -- and a pleasure to read. Highly recommended.”
“Joseph Blenkinsopp's treatment of the king of Israel who became the prototype for the Messiah is characteristically lucid and informed with intense historical and theological learning. . . . An enthralling read.”
“Much has been written on the historical David in recent years, but there has been a gap in studies of how the David story was later interpreted in the Second Temple period. Blenkinsopp fills that gap with this masterful yet readable account, tracing how the David tradition was remembered and applied from the last days of the kingdom of Judah, through Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, the prophetic expectation of a future king like David, to the concept of a protective Davidic messiah in the Roman period and, finally, Jesus as a Davidic descendant.”
“Blenkinsopp's command of the breadth and depth of evidence from primary and secondary sources, from the Babylonian to the Roman periods, is most impressive. . . . David Remembered is eminently accessible to all readers but packed with detailed information in dialogue with the latest scholarship.”
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