The House Of David

[Cure of Ars]

[quote]But not everybody is celebrating. Many scholars still deny that King David ever existed. For such biblical skeptics King David's kingdom is no more historical than the mythical founding of Camelot. Like King Arthur, David was a mythical figure around whom a collection of stories has grown up.

Why do so many scholars persist in this attitude? Because they consider the Bible to be myth until it is confirmed by other sources. In other words, unless the ancient Philistine or Aramean records mention David, such skeptics assume that David did not actually exist.

Until recently King Ahab was the earliest biblical character who appears in secular historical records. His treaty with the king of Syria is recorded in Syrian inscriptions. So by our skeptic's rule, no biblical character before Ahab—including King David—can be considered a historical figure.

The summer of 1993 must have come as a great shock to the biblical skeptics. That's when Avraham Biran, an archaeologist at Hebrew Union College, discovered an ancient Aramean inscription at the biblical city of Dan in northern Israel. The inscription dates from the ninth century BC, and it bears the name "David."

Now the biblical account goes like this: The kings of Israel and Judah were at war with each other. The king of Judah, fearing defeat, took the gold and silver from the Temple and used it to bribe the king of the Arameans to come fight on his side. The Arameans agreed. They took Judah's gold, attacked Israel—and captured the Israelite city of Dan [I Kings 15:16-22].

Just a myth? The inscription at Dan proves otherwise. It mentions the Aramean victory over Israel—and refers specifically to the king of Israel and the "House of David."

That's one in the eye for scholars who claim that David's dynasty was a myth, and that the kingdoms of Israel and Judah didn't exist in the ninth century BC [/quote]

[url="http://www.staycatholic.com/confirming_biblical_history.htm"]http://www.staycatholic.com/confirming_biblical_history.htm[/url]

[MorphRC]

Ill get a secular source. This is important as a defence against Muslims.

[MorphRC]

David (king) (died 961 bc), king (1000-961 bc) of Judah and Israel, founder of the Judaean dynasty. Several accounts of his accomplishments occur in the Old Testament, chiefly in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles.

David was the youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd of Bethlehem, where he spent his youth tending his father's flocks. He became known for his musical skill and for his courage, exemplified by his victorious encounter with the Philistine giant Goliath. As his reputation grew, he was summoned to the royal court, where he received an appointment as armour-bearer to Saul, the first king of Israel. After achieving distinction in the wars against the Philistines, he married Michal, Saul's daughter, and won the friendship of Jonathan, Saul's son. As a result of his growing popularity, however, he incurred the jealousy of the king, who banished him from the court. David spent the next period of his life in exile, at the head of a band of warriors, levying tribute on the landowners of Judah. After a period in the town of Adullam, near Jerusalem, and in the deserts of Judaea, he entered the service of Achish, king of the Philistine city of Gath. As a reward for his help to Achish, he was made ruler of the town of Ziklag.

David returned to his native country after Saul, Jonathan, and two others of Saul's four sons died in battle with the Philistines. Becoming king of Judah at Hebron, he reigned for seven years, until about 993 bc, when he was anointed king of Israel. David subsequently defeated in rapid succession the Philistines, Moabites, Aramaeans, Edomites, and Ammonites, firmly establishing Israel as an independent national state and greatly extending its dominions. One of his principal conquests was that of the Jebusite stronghold of Zion, which he made the nucleus of his capital city, Jerusalem, often called the City of David. There he constructed his palace and installed, under a tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, making Jerusalem the religious and political centre of the domains united in his person.

During the siege of Rabbath (now Ammān, Jordan), the Ammonite capital, David committed adultery with Bathsheba, wife of the soldier Uriah, for whose death he was indirectly responsible. This episode, generally considered the major sin of his life, was followed by recurring troubles with his children, one of whom, Absalom, was killed during a rebellion that he had organized against his father. The final years of David's reign were marked by additional family troubles, notably the dispute with his eldest surviving son, Adonijah, that developed after David had selected Solomon, his son by Bathsheba, as heir to the throne.

David was a valiant warrior and an outstanding leader. He displayed unfailing religious devotion and epitomized the courage and aspirations of his people, the prophets of whom came inevitably to regard him as the type of the promised Messiah.

[b]Microsoft Encarta 2004 CD-ROM
© 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.[/b]

[Cure of Ars]

[quote name='MorphRC' date='Aug 13 2004, 02:37 AM'] Ill get a secular source. This is important as a defence against Muslims. [/quote]
Why do the question the house of David?

[MorphRC]

[quote name='Cure of Ars' date='Aug 14 2004, 02:38 PM'] Why do the question the house of David? [/quote]
Because one of their main beliefs is that since Adam all prophets and true believers have been Muslims, and that Jews and Christians were brought the truth but sacrificed it for falsehood.

Since King David can be proven, archaelogical and historically, that falls to pieces since it means that the Bible is correct in refering to King David. Hence, the Bible is truthworthy, therefore the Quran is made void.

Also proves Jews were around before Muslims, without any bias. Thats why its important to have a secular source, their suppose to have non-bias spin on history.

[Cure of Ars]

[quote name='MorphRC' date='Aug 14 2004, 09:48 AM'] Because one of their main beliefs is that since Adam all prophets and true believers have been Muslims, and that Jews and Christians were brought the truth but sacrificed it for falsehood.

Since King David can be proven, archaelogical and historically, that falls to pieces since it means that the Bible is correct in refering to King David. Hence, the Bible is truthworthy, therefore the Quran is made void.

Also proves Jews were around before Muslims, without any bias. Thats why its important to have a secular source, their suppose to have non-bias spin on history.

[/quote]
I did not know that. Thanks

[MorphRC]

Your Welcome