The Sword of Goliath: David in Heroic Literature (Studies in Biblical Literature)

his book shifts the focus of biblical stories about David from historicity to popular culture, suggesting their origins in popular heroic literature of the later monarchy and Persian period and comparing them with Homeric and Arthurian heroic literature. Synopsis The Sword of Goliath offers a fresh view of the biblical story of David, shifting the focus from historicity to issues of genre and popular culture. Isser compares the biblical stories of David with other heroic literature, including the Greek heroes of Homer, King Arthur, and Robin Hood. He suggests that the David stories, most of them now lost, originated in popular heroic literature that continued to grow during the later monarchy and into the Persian period. Isser engages a wide array of biblical scholarship to illuminate the complexity of ascertaining the historicity of much of the David traditions. Readers will find here a new perspective on the biblical David that moves beyond the current historical debate in biblical studies. The Sword of Goliath offers a fresh view of the biblical story of David, shifting the focus from historicity to issues of genre and popular culture. Isser compares the biblical stories of David with other heroic literature, including the Greek heroes of Homer, King Arthur, and Robin Hood. He suggests that the David stories, most of them now lost, originated in popular heroic literature that continued to grow during the later monarchy and into the Persian period. Isser engages a wide array of biblical scholarship to illuminate the complexity of ascertaining the historicity of much of the David traditions. Readers will find here a new perspective on the biblical David that moves beyond the current historical debate in biblical studies. Paperback edition is available from the Society of Biblical Literature ((http://www.sbl-site.org) www.sbl-site.org ) Shifting The Perspective Of The Biblical Story Of David From Historicity To Genre And Popular Culture, Isser (judaic And Religious Studies, State U. Of New York-albany) Compares The Stories With Other Heroic Literature, Including Those In Homer, King Arthur, And Robin Hood. The David Stories Originated In Popular Heroic Literature, He Concludes, And Only A Small Fragment Of Them Found Their Way Into The Bible. The Society Of Biblical Literature Publishes The Book And Distributes The Paperbound Edition; Brill Distributes The Clothbound Edition. Edition. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, Or