Issued as part of UPCC book collections on Project MUSE.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-295) and indexes.

part I. The Syrian House of X -- 1. Ancient Syria and the "House of X" pattern -- 2. Adini, Halupe, and Zamani -- 3. Agusi and Bahiani -- part II. The Biblical House of David -- 4. Rebellions against David -- 5. David, King of Israel (2 Samuel 2:1-5:3) -- 6. The assembly at Shechem (1 Kings 12:1-20) -- 7. Conclusion: the House of David in history.

Current scholarly debate over the historical character of David's rule generally considers the biblical portrait to represent David as king of Judah first, and subsequently over "all Israel." The ninth-century Tel Dan inscription, which refers to the "House of David" (byt dwd), is often taken as evidence for the dynasty of Judah. Mahri Leonard-Fleckman argues, however, that references to Judah in the story of David as king do not suffice to constitute a coherent stratum of material about Judah as a political entity. Comparing the "house of . . ." terminology in the ninth-century Tel Dan inscription with early first-millennium Assyrian usage, then giving close examination to the "house of David" materials in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings, she understands the "house of David" as a small body politic connected to David, but distinct from any Judean dynastic context. One implication is that the identification of Judah as a later southern kingdom may have less to do with an Israelite secession from Jerusalem than with an Israelite rejection of David's lineage and the subsequent redactional creation of Judah-centric language on the part of a Davidic coterie. Leonard-Fleckman's arguments suggest a rethinking of the rise of monarchy in Israel.

Description based on print version record.