The Garden of Ruth

Book Description

A historical novel imagines the riveting story behind the Book of Ruth

Sitting beneath a tree in ancient Bethlehem, Osnath, niece of the prophet Samuel, examines a dusty scrap of parchment she found hidden in her relative's scroll room. Scrawled on the decaying page is an intriguing message addressed to Ruth the Moabite—great-grandmother of David, the future king of Israel. Compelled to discover the truth about Ruth's life, Osnath begins searching for the identity of Ruth's nameless lover and the secret that is cloaked behind his anonymity. But as she digs deeper into the past, she finds her inquiries blocked by David's brother Eliab. What is the long-buried truth he fears will come to light? And what is the threat that Ruth's story poses to his family's vast inheritance?

Eva Etzioni-Halevy's novel deftly interweaves history and fiction to create a compelling exploration of a prominent biblical figure. Told through the voices of both Osnath and Ruth herself, The Garden of Ruth transports readers into the ancient world—and offers a dramatic and thought-provoking new perspective on a well-known tale.

Customer Reviews:

wonderful story.......2007-08-20

This is one of the best and most un-put-downable books I've read in a long time. In fact, I was enjoying reading it so much that I didn't want it to end!

The book transports the reader to biblical times and to the lives of its two main characters: Osnath and Ruth. Osnath is a product of the author's imagination while Ruth is the famous biblical character who is the first convert to Judaism in Jewish history. Through the story of Osnath, the author reveals her interpretation of the behind-the-scenes story of Ruth's life.

Like the author's first book, the Song of Hannah, which I also found captivating, the Garden of Ruth had me in suspense from the first page wondering where it would lead and what would happen. It is a story about women in biblical times who were, after all, just like us in so many ways.

I'd really recommend this.

Faulty translation.......2007-08-14

Faulty translation detracts from the reading enjoyment of this book. It is easy to see that in the original Hebrew, this must be a gem of a book. The story is imaginative and compelling. However, the English translation is stilted and forced, with archaic language that detracts from the ability to read this book easily.

daughter liked it.......2007-08-10

16 yo daughter who has read The Red Tent 25+ times said this book was "pretty good". She has ready everything that has come out re: biblical women/fiction; sO I trust her judgement.

Biblical romance.......2007-07-05

The Garden of Ruth delves into history as the bible describes it, and adds embellishment and intrigue as well. Eva Etzioni-Halevy's style of writing draws the reader into the world of Ruth and her descendants, thereby making all of their lives into a continuous beautiful story never told. The characters are intensely connected by the bonds of their religion and family history, which the years and time fail to separate. The book is truly written from a woman's point of view, and sheds light on the unknown world of Jewish women who were important, scarcely mentioned biblical heroes, and at the same time brings to full light their human weaknesses, needs and tribulations. Any woman reader can very easily feel their pain, and elation.

Historicl Fiction.......2007-06-14

The Garden of Ruth is the second in a series by Eva Etzioni-Halevy. I was suprised to find that the romantic scenes in the book are quite graphic. The book was well written and the story was entertaining if somewhat different from my understanding of the stories told in the Bible. A good novel for those who enjoy this type of reading, but I would caution readers strongly in regards to the graphic scenes included.

A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya

Average customer rating:

A Very Useful Resource for Visiting Mayan Ruins
Dry But Worth It
An eye opener
Superlative book on Mayan culture - fascinating read
Excellent Read with great info!

A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya
David Freidel , and Linda Schele
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0688112048
Release Date: 1992-01-24

Book Description

The recent interpretation of Maya hieroglyphs has given us the first written history of the New World as it existed before the European invasion. In this book, two of the first central figures in the massive effort to decode the glyphs, Linda Schele and David Freidel, make this history available in all its detail. A Forest of Kings is the story of Maya kingship, from the beginning of its institution and the first great pyramid builders two thousand years ago to the decline of Maya civilization and its destruction by the Spanish. Here the great historic rulers of pre-Columbian civilization come to life again with the decipherment of their writing. At its height, Maya civilization flourished under great kings like Shield-Jaguar, who ruled for more than sixty years, expanding his kingdom and building some of the most impressive works of architecture in the ancient world. Long placed on a mist-shrouded pedestal as austere, peaceful stargazers, the Maya elites are now known to have been the rulers of populous, aggressive city-states.

Hailed as "a Rosetta stone of Maya civilization" (Brian M. Fagan, author of People of the Earth), A Forest of Kings is "a must for interested readers," says Evon Vogt, professor of anthropology at Harvard University.

Customer Reviews:

A Very Useful Resource for Visiting Mayan Ruins.......2006-11-03

I bought this book prior to visiting the Mayan ruins at Copan, Honduras. I found it a very useful guide to the Mayan world. I have a purely amateur interest in the Mayas, with no academic background. I wish I had this book with me when I visited Tikal, Chichen Itza and other sites in Mexico. The book devotes a chapter each to the major Mayan sites such as the two I just mentioned, Palenque, Copan, and others. It provides basic cultural information about Mayan language and social structure, interspersed with interesting if unconventional narrative passages in which the writers imagine what a day in the life of a historical Mayan figure might have been like. Some might be put off by these passages, but I liked them well enough. You can read the book simply for general cultural background, or take it with you on a stela-by-stela tour of the ruins. At times, there was a bit too much detail for my purposes, but I would rather have too much information than too little, and mostly the amount of information was just right. The book also provides a few portraits of archaeologists who have devoted their lives to uncovering the history of the Mayas, including some discussion of the cracking of the Mayan Code. It was informative and a worthwhile read, particularly if you are planning a trip to see the ruins for yourself.

Dry But Worth It.......2004-04-04

Of the various books available on Mayan culture that a layman has any chance of engaging profitably, this is one of the best. Detailed and well-organized, it presents a wealth of material on the subject, with plenty of accompanying illustrations that are well linked to the text, unlike other books which drop in pictures seemingly at random or which fail to explain why they are placed as they are. (Or, my personal favorite, those that assume you know why the picture is there, and what it's of, and don't bother to provide captions.)

If you're not afraid of "tomes," this is an excellent book for you, though it's not an introductory text. I'd recommend starting with something a little more basic before you tackle this fellow. But once you've familiarized yourself with the lay of the land regarding the Mayas, you won't find many books that cover so many different aspects of their life and culture in such a deep, dense way. You can feel these authors' love for their subject.

However, that being said, I must warn you this is a fairly dry book, and I am a reasonably tolerant reader when it comes to subjects I enjoy such as this one. It's chock full of great stuff, but its tone and style are heavily scholastic, so be prepared. It's still worth it. I have read any number of books thicker than this in a few sittings, but I found I retained more of the material and stayed more engaged by taking small bites of it over a few weeks.

An eye opener.......2004-03-25

It was so surprising to me to find out how complex the Maya society was. To learn that about their wars, their kings, and their complex religion was fascinating. The illustrations were excellent.

Superlative book on Mayan culture - fascinating read.......2003-02-05

It is so sad that we have lost Linda Schele. But we can rejoice that we still have her wonderful books. This book is among her best. It is almost magical in the way she and David Freidel create the atmosphere of the Mayan culture. There are wonderful pictures and illustrations. She unfolds the stories of the archaeological discoveries and then helps us understand the real lives revealed in the evidence.

The book also shows how the Mayan glyphs and counting systems work. There are nowadays very good texts on the writing system itself, but this book shows us how the glyphs are woven into the culture and religion of these people. We learn how the lineage worked and how the monuments were used as what we would call propaganda to support one line over other possibilities. We learn about the role of magic and visions and the way the leaders were the empowered by those visions.

There is just so much here that any reader will be richly rewarded. The Mayan civilization is incredibly fascinating because it is so foreign to our own and yet it is a part of the heritage of the American continents.

This book isn't just a text, it is a work of art in itself. You will have a hard time putting it down.

Excellent Read with great info!.......2002-09-08

This has to be one of the best books written on the ancient Maya. You can really tell Linda not only has a great understanding of her subject, you can also tell she loves what she's doing.

The art work is great and ties to the text completely. Most books I buy now have Text text text with a few B&Ws in the middle, just so they can say they have pics, not this one. You'll find 100s of pics and believe it or not, their on the same page as the text that tells you about them.

The info contained in this book is up to date and pretty much uncontested. The book hits almost every subject possible with a few exceptions that only the very serious scholars would miss.

I really enjoyed the sections on temple design and how the Maya chose the locations for the temple sites. The section on the Mayan alphabet and it's symbology is very informative. Even though this book is quite long, it will keep you interested threw out.

If your a student in the history of the Americas or if your a casual reader with an interest in the ancient Maya, I think you'll find this book is for you.

Amazon.com

If you could have only one anthology of dark stories, this would be the one to have. Having observed that "fans of horror fiction most often restrict their reading to books and stories given a horror category label, thus missing some of the finest pleasures in that fictional mode," David G. Hartwell assembles here 56 important tales within an insightful critical framework; his purpose is to "clear the air and broaden future considerations of horror." Several well-known classics are included, but there are also dozens of lesser-known horror tales, including many by science fiction and literary writers. Get one copy for yourself. Get another for that friend or relative who doesn't understand why you like to read horror.

Book Description

In The Dark Descent, hailed as one of the most important anthologies ever to examine horror fiction, editor David G. Hartwell traces the complex history of horror in literature back to the earliest short stories. The Dark Descent, which won the World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology, showcases the finest of these ever written--from the time-honored classics of Edgar Allan Poe, D.H. Lawrence, and Edith Wharton to the contemporary writing of Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Ray Bradbury.

Customer Reviews:

I must be missing something.......2007-08-30

Why all the 5 star reviews? Am I really that picky or is everyone else that easy? Did we read the same book, I mean the WHOLE over 1,000 big pages? Well enough questions, there were some really excellent stories in this compilation namely "The Crowd", "The Autopsy", "Sticks", "Yours Truly, Jack The Ripper", "Dread", "How Love Came To Professor Guildia", "MacIntosh Willy", sadly those were in the minority. Some stories as in most compilations this vast were from early 1900's and the language requires careful reading to interpret the words or phrases used in those times. Also so many stories stacked side by side with winners like those mentioned above seemed to have almost nothing at all to do with horror and left me completely bored such as "The Asian Shore", "night side", others were just about unreadable and must have been included on a bet or a favor of some sort such as "The Jolly Corner" and "Larger Than Oneself". Glad I only paid over $6 from an Amazon Marketplace shop instead of the $29.95 cover price.

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-08-04

Part of a larger series that takes a look at various types of horror writing, with an introduction giving some detail and thoughts on the topic, as well as to each author and story.

This is a good collection, and is well to the ghost story end of the spectrum, in general.

Fabulous Formless Darkness : Smoke Ghost - Fritz Leiber
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Seven American Nights - Gene Wolfe
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Signal-Man - Charles Dickens
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Crouch End - Stephen King
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Night-Side - Joyce Carol Oates
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Seaton's Aunt - Walter de la Mare
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Clara Militch - Ivan Turgenev
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Repairer of Reputations - Robert W. Chambers
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Beckoning Fair One - Oliver Onions
Fabulous Formless Darkness : What Was It? - Fitz-James O'Brien
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Beautiful Stranger - Shirley Jackson
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Damned Thing - Ambrose Bierce
Fabulous Formless Darkness : Afterward - Edith Wharton
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Willows - Algernon Blackwood
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Asian Shore - Thomas M. Disch
Fabulous Formless Darkness : The Hospice - Robert Aickman
Fabulous Formless Darkness : A Little Something for Us Tempunauts - Philip K. Dick

Spectral look.

3.5 out of 5

Play things.

3.5 out of 5

Danger light haunting.

4 out of 5

Mythos scoffer mortality.

4 out of 5

Seance surprise.

3.5 out of 5

Ghost house.

3.5 out of 5

Poisoned woman not all gone.

3.5 out of 5

PR work not nice, free death not popular.

4 out of 5

Loopy writer problems.

4 out of 5

Nightmare rather solid it appears.

4 out of 5

Our house got lost.

3 out of 5

Invisible monster.

4 out of 5

Ghost visit.

3 out of 5

Wind in the tree monsters.

4.5 out of 5

Turkish twists.

3 out of 5

Lodging lacks lager and fun.

3 out of 5

Time to avoid own deaths.

4 out of 5

A fine anthology for the horror afficianado.......2005-12-22

This huge, (topping out at just over 1000 pages!) collection of some of the finest tales from the masters of horror has it all. It was wonderful to read works I had not encountered over the years, along with some of the classics of the genre. Some personal favorites were the Lovecraftian "Crouch End" (King), a truly bizarre and unclassifiable tale, "The Swords" (Aickman), a masterful work of understated horror, "The Summer People" (Jackson), and a classic ghost story, "The Beckoning Fair One" (Onions) A one stop shop for the fan of all things scary.

Multitudinous tome for the horror and preternatural aficionado.......2005-08-23

This publication rivals most of the horror/ mystery compilations printed elsewhere. Some of the most consequential and prolific ink slingers of the creepy and the dreary are featured here, and they don't disappoint.

Here, in this volume, you will find it all. The works of King, Bradbury, Jackson, Lovecraft, Poe and many others are at your reading pleasure. Some of my personal favorites: The Beach (King); The Call of the Cthulhu (Lovecraft); Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper (Bloch)...I could go on for ever.

Alone in the Library---with Spooks........2004-10-26

Disaster! That super-secret hush-hush Project the military was supposed to have under control has torn a rift into another dimension just ten miles from town, and maniacal flesh-hungry monsters are pouring through by the score, tearing their shrieking victims apart and turning the world as you know it into a charnel house. You've got to pack up and get outta Dodge quick---but what to take? Clothes, boots, food, hunting knife, guns and ammo, extra fuel cans, chainsaw---oh, and if you're a horror junkie like me, you've gotta have reading material during the Siege, right? And since you'll be holing up a long time---maybe forever---the tome you choose had better be a good one.

Forced to haul one single volume off your horror shelf before you pack everything into the heavily armored civvie Hum-Vee, I would choose David G. Hartwell's masterful compilation "The Dark Descent." This Leviathan of a book is chock-full of more than one-thousand pages of the best horror ever written by some of the Grand-Masters of the genre (H.P. Lovecraft, Poe, Stephen King, M.R. James) and some of their lesser known adepts and apprentices. For such a modest price, having this much shivery, ghoulish goodness stuffed between the covers is nearly an embarrassment of riches.

Anthologies are often treacherous ground, and success hinges on an editor's style and judgment. Hartwell demonstrates his impeccable taste and considerable acuity in the selections he makes; best of all he begins the collection with a remarkably astute, entertaining---and mercifully concise---little essay tracing the evolution of the terror and horror tale. Certainly we are treated to the seminal classics of the genre, and a few of the tales are overly represented in many other collections---but as horror crown jewels, they have their place here. H.P. Lovecraft is represented by two ensanguined ambassadors: "The Call of Cthulhu", a sweeping account of global panic, terror and slaughter spread by the resurgence of a primitive cult of an obscure Squid-God, and the Poe-esque "The Rats in the Walls". M.R. James has a less auspicious presence, "The Ash-Tree" being one of his less powerful works and an inadequate introduction to the Master.

Hartwell's King selections are slightly puzzling; "The Reach" is too languid for its own good, while "The Monkey" is tacky and underawing---but then Hartwell knocks it out of the ballfield with the relatively rare Lovecraftian "Crouch End" which, serves up a viciously psychedelic and very different side of King, to say nothing of providing a little side-trip to a part of London (thankfully) not on any map.

Karl Edward Wagner's "Sticks" presages by a quarter-century the discovery of liches in the woods by "Blair Witch"'s unlucky film students, Clive Barker details an experiment in mortal terror gone horribly awry in "Dread", Joyce Carol Oates proves there is a fate worse than Death in "Night-Side", and Lucy Clifford chronicles what happens to naughty little children in "The New Mother".

There are at least ten riveting tales of vintage dread here, any one of which justifies the price of admission. If you haven't met late British terror-writer Robert Aickman, you have three opportunities in "Dark Descent", although "The Hospice" is by far the most ambiguous---and disquieting. "Seven American Nights", an apocalyptic travelogue written by a young Turkish man traveling through a wasted and genetically twisted future America, is by turns terrifying, acutely repulsive, and melancholy, a peculiarly potent spiked little horror-potion cloaked as travelogue by fantasy master Gene Wolfe. Taken together with Thomas Disch's disorienting "The Asian Shore", they might make you rethink getting away from the tour group the next time you spelunk through a strange land.

Algernon Blackwood's "The Willows" conjures up the horror of the spheres that's moved its haunts to remote islands in the Danube; Walter de la Mare's "Seaton's Aunt" is a rich, deliciously unhinged little crawlfest instantly recognizable to anyone who has forced himself through an unpleasant evening with an unctuous, intimidating in-law.

Hartwell includes a number of authors who rarely ventured into the horror genre: William Faulkner does Southern Gothic proud in "A Rose for Emily", Flannery O'Connor demonstrates the wisdom of never judging a book---even a Bible---by its cover in "Good Country People", and Edith Wharton whips up a kind of delayed-blast spook in "Afteward"---to say nothing of writing one of the finest ghost tales of all time.

Hartwell makes some missteps, perhaps unavoidable in such a massive collection. Bishop's "Within the Walls of Tyre" is pretentious and dull, and "The Roaches", "If Damon Comes", and Philip K. Dick's time-twisting "Little Something for us Tempunauts" may give you chills, but they left me cold and bored. But these are forgivable lapses in a collection so varied and rich.

One story in particular that I can't stop thinking about is Michael Shea's unexpected, grisly little delight "The Autopsy", about an aging, cancerous coroner called to a remote mountain town to conduct autopsies on the bodies of miners killed in a mysterious mine explosion---and who rapidly, terrifyingly shifts roles from examiner to subject. It's not a perfect story---not in style, nor even in its final revelation---but that said it's nasty, and remorselessly surgical, and you'll never forget it. Like most of the darksome little nuggets of terror in this vast volume, it's like a tooth you've had removed---you can't stop yourself from digging your tongue into the raw, fleshy gap.

So remember---as civilization collapses and the howls of the mutated and deranged grow closer to your hideaway, throw the bolts, load the rifle, and tuck yourself in with "The Dark Descent"---at least you'll have the ultimate grimoire containing the very finest tales of terror until those crafty army scientists come up with a solution to save the day. And if they don't? Well, you *do* have 1,000 pages to tide you over.

David's Secret Demons: Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King (The Bible in Its World)

Average customer rating:

Excellent and engaging scholarship
Makes a few dubious assumptions, but sets up a very plausible scenario.
Revisionist history?
Compelling yet flawed
Amazing New History of David

David's Secret Demons: Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King (The Bible in Its World)
Baruch Halpern
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0802844782

Book Description

Biblical tradition portrays King David as an exceptional man and a paragon of godly devotion. But was he? Some scholars deny that he existed at all. Did he? This challenging book examines the textual and archaeological evidence critically in an effort to paint an accurate picture of one of the Bible's central figures.

A leading scholar of biblical history and the ancient Near East, Baruch Halpern traces the development of the David tradition, showing how the image of David grew over time. According to Halpern, David was the founder of the dynasty that progressively exaggerated his accomplishments. Halpern's clear portrait of the historical David reveals his true humanity and shows him to be above all a politician who operated in a rough-and-tumble environment in which competitors were ready literally to slit throats.

David's Secret Demons explores a number of provocative questions:

Did King David actually exist?
Was David an Israelite or a Philistine?
Was Solomon really David's son?
Did David take the throne of Israel by the consent of the people?
How many murders did he commit on his way to the throne?
Are the biblical texts about David reliable?

Challenging, well argued, and written with accessible, at times humorous prose, David's Secret Demons will provoke discussion by scholars and general readers alike.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent and engaging scholarship.......2007-01-04

A sea of works imagining themselves as "biographies" of King David have made an appearance of late, mostly the works of non-scholars who ranging from mediocre to execrable. As a group, these tend to fit into the take a character from the Bible and put them on the couch approach, a fate suffered first by Moses and now by Israel's second king. From that morass comes this fine book, by thoughtful and able biblical scholar Baruch Halpern, one which should be read by any interested in the field.

Halpern neither seeks to bury David nor to praise him. Instead, he takes a textual approach, examining Samuel carefully and often in comparison with the royal accounts of other contemporaneous Levantine kingdoms. Thus, instead of taking the rather sophomoric and ultimately useless method of holding a 3,000 year old character up to ridicule and condemnation based on modern ethical notions, Halpern examines King David within his own literary idiom. Some may find this a less than thrilling read, but it accomplishes a useful goal. Thus, we can understand what parts of David's record count as his successes and where, following the style particular to his time, the text is covering for his failures.

Of course it is not David's military or foreign accomplishments that render him for many a subject of such great interest, but instead his personal and political life which, as so often proves true among royals, proved so intertwined as to be a single rope. To the end of untangling this knotty subject, Halpern again reads the text closely and makes many logical assumptions leading to interesting, if often disquieting theories. Readers inclined to take Samuel as gospel, pardon the pun, will find their blood pressure rising at many suggestions offered, but then again, even the most cursory reading of Samuel demonstrates that David can hardly be seen as a paragon of virtue. However, unlike Mckenzie's "biography," which portrayed Saul's successor as a sociopath with a gift for music, sort of a cross between Ted Bundy and Marc Cohn, Halpern renders an image of David for what he likely was, a late bronze/early iron age leader using the acceptable means of his day to consolidate power and strengthen his kingdom.

Readers may have an easier time accepting some of Halpern's conclusions then others. That David's enemies seem to time and again suffer violent deaths even as the text over and over again insists that he is blameless makes it easy to believe that the Book of Samuel "doth deny too much." His assertion that the relationship between David and Jonathan is a fiction to strengthen David's claim to the throne, while also logical, lacks the same strength of argument. Another presentation of a scholarly theory currently of high currency, that David's whole Tribe of Judah are of late constitution and not part of the original Tribal confederacy presented in the Bible, will upset many, but even those rejecting this argument should at least be able to admit that it is interesting. Rather than taking the churlish approach of simply throwing up ones hands and rejecting these ideas because "the bible doesn't say so" readers should try and attempt to look at the evidence and undermine the argument on its own terms.

No matter ones personal religious stripe, Professor Halpern has produced a thoughtful and scholarly work, one worthy of deep consideration and analysis. Those interested in the subject who let them selves be put off by its often thick prose and occasional digressions will regret their failure to explore "David's Secret Demons."

Makes a few dubious assumptions, but sets up a very plausible scenario........2006-10-15

This is quite possibly the most thorough, critical investigation of the figure of David ever done, and comes to the same conclusion regarding the extent of David's territory that I had arrived at based on what I've read of the archaeological material- roughly, that David ruled "from Dan to Beersheba," and no more than that. Typical reconstructions that give David and Solomon control up to the Euphrates, or even to the southern border of Hamath, base their borders on later 7th century Judean traditions and not on the relatively early material preserved in the books of Samuel. Halpern uses linguistic, epigraphic, and other elements to separate early material from late, and shows that the earliest material does not give David territory touching Damascus, let alone the Euphrates.

Unfortunately, this otherwise excellent study is marred by a few dubious assumptions- first and foremost is Halpern's separation of 1 Samuel into A and B sources. Unlike the Penateuchal sources sources JEPD, which are pretty much universally agreed upon, the division of 1 Samuel into "A" and "B" sources is only one of several explanations that have been offered to explain the doublets and contradictions, and he makes no attempt to explain why he believes this model is better than, say, McCarter's model of a continuous base narrative supplemented by several independent stories which contain some duplicates of the larger narrative. Another dubious assumption- and this really harms the book- is the starting assumption that every piece of early material in the David-Saul narrative, including the main redactive framework, is an apologia dating from Solomon's reign (except the A source, which he dates a bit later). While some of the stories certainly originally stem from propaganda seeking to exonerate David, and the Court History is concievably from Solomon's reign, the Saul-David cycles clearly contain an amount of folklore in the narrative; for the deed of slaying Goliath, originally attributed to David's subordinate Elhanan, to be transferred by storytellers to David himself, would take some time, and would probably not have been completed during Solomon's reign. Perhaps a little later, c. 900 BC, is a better candidate for the Saul-David cycles.

Revisionist history?.......2003-05-18

Some see David as a mythological figure. Certainly the image projected of him and the shadow this character casts over subsequent Israelite and biblical history is one of mythic proportions. Partly the constructs around David have become so strangely skewed that one asks the question, as the literature both in the biblical texts and later developments can lead one to asking the question, 'can any one man have been or done all this?'

Halpern addresses this question in this book By looking at the latest archaeological evidence, Halpern concludes that the character our David is based upon was most likely a real character. But, how much similarity is there between the real David and the David of later biblical writers? How much is legend? Will the real David please stand up?

Halpern takes the reader on a journey through various questions, and part of the different questions can be discerned from the title of the book: David's Secret Demons: Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King. One issue with which to contend is the diversity of voices in the biblical text itself. The portrayal of early Israelite history in the Bible is not a uniform, seamless construction. The Chronicles relay different information than the historical cycles that runs through the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. Even when they relay the same information, they do so with differing interpretations behind motives and outcomes.

David is an intriguing figure. While being held up as the exemplary King of Israel to whom all others must be compared, he is at the same time shown to have some devastatingly human failings. The number of people that David kills, for instance, Halpern contends would earn any modern politician the label of serial killer. David's loyalty to Saul and to Israel is, through much of David's early career, never complete and never without question: consider this - suppose, during the height of the Cold War, a popular American general decided to reside the USSR because he had a difficulty with the President, and even helped them in a few military operations against American interests. When that President was gone, he returned to the United States. Is it likely the Americans would welcome him back, much less make him the new President? And yet, this is close to the scenario presented in the biblical texts - David goes to reside with the Philistines. The biblical writers work hard to justify his actions, but some seem to stretch beyond reason looking for this justification. Of course, we know from the later writer of Ruth that David has some non-Israelite ancestry. Could it be more than just from that line of the lineage? Could David have actually been part Philistine, sufficient to have a reasonable expectation of their help? And why, if David does become the leader of the Kingdom of Israel at the height of its power, does he never finish off the Philistines, long considered the mortal enemy of Israel?

These are but a few of the very intriguing questions Halpern addresses. In one of the final sections, Halpern reconstructs a life of David based on various assumptions and readings which make various assertions plausible and understandable. Like any reconstruction of modern history taken from biblical and legendary texts and sources, there are numerous points of contention. Yet this is a construction and set of conclusions worthy of study and debate.

Another point of interest is the succession - David's reign was never a peaceful one, and with so many sons running around waiting for a chance to reign, it is no wonder there would be strife. Was the succession of Solomon, however, David's own design, or has history been revised to legitimise Solomon? Certainly in modern convention we have a difficult time understanding the nuanced behaviours of the characters involved in the story. One question that can be asked - was Solomon in fact David's own son?

Professor Baruch Halpern teaches ancient history, classics, religious studies and Jewish studies at Pennsylvania State University. He has also been the co-director of the Megiddo Expedition since 1994 (Megiddo is the Hebrew word for what in English is usually called Armageddon, an actual place in Israel). He has written extensively in the area of the Bible and history, with particular emphasis on the monarchy of ancient Israel.

This is a very interesting book, bound to give interesting questions and fuel conversations for Jewish and Christian people of every background. Even if you disagree with it on multiple levels, it raises significant issues worthy of consideration.

Compelling yet flawed.......2002-01-31

This is a mystery story. True, it is nonfiction, but it is a mystery, nonetheless, the mystery of David. Halpern does a good job of solving this mystery and showing us what the real David was probably like, but it is a rough journey to see the solution.

Halpern has done his research and definitely knows his stuff. Unfortunately, he is not very good at presenting his material; this book has all the detail and tedium of a courtroom trial (although he does give warnings about the most technical chapters). The overall organization is not well-thought out; he revisits the same information over and over again.

I think that this is almost a good book. Halpern does get his point across and shows that David was not as heroic as he is often thought of. He brings out the reality behind the myth. If he only could lay out the details better, this book would go from almost good to either good or great.

Amazing New History of David.......2001-08-15

Every so often, a scholar emerges in a particular field to reinvigorate it with a flash of brilliance. Baruch Halpern is one such scholar. Recently in the field of Biblical Studies, open warfare has erupted over whether the biblical record of Israel's past is anything more than a well-written romance, whether the Bible contains material useful to the modern historian. Halpern turns the historian's lense on the biblical portrait of David, and provides positive answers to these questions in a tour de force that is witty, learned, and hugely entertaining. Halpern shows that the main narratives about David, in Samuel and the first chapters of Kings, preserve a nearly contemporary effort to vindicate the king from the calumnies hurled by his erstwhile enemies and their supporters (since most of the enemies "wake up dead"). Two principles of historical reconstruction distinguish Halpern's work. The first is the idea that the voices of David's opponents can still be heard if the historian engages in imaginative reconstruction. The second, the product of Halpern's immense erudition and familiarity with other Near Eastern historical literature, is that royal scribes in Israel and the Near East are not free to give false testimony about their lieges' accomplishments. The scribes may try to lead the reader to the grandest possible interpretation of even minimal accomplishments, by tolerating or even promoting ambiguity, but they can't spin their reconstruction out of whole cloth. The logic of these principles leads Halpern to reconsider the extent of David's "empire," which the text would have us think was extremely vast. It also leads to a portrait of the king that shines with a duller veneer than the one David's (and Solomon's) apologists apply. What is finally so interesting in this book is that it allows the reader to enter the biblical text in the company of an agile, imaginative historian. The reader can laugh with Halpern (the comparison of the shepherd boy armed with sling to the Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court almost killed me), can admire the sophistication of the biblical writers, and can appreciate anew the complexities in the account of David. The sheer pleasure of reading Halpern's book may delay the recognition that this is history writing at its best, but make no mistake. The biblical writers asserted repeatedly that "God was with David." This reviewer was led to conclude that Clio the Muse is with Halpern. This is a remarkable book that leaves others recently written about David looking rather pallid by comparison.

Average customer rating:

Unexpected
Eye opener
Incredible book!

Daughter of a King
Rachel Ann Nunes
Manufacturer: Covenant Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1577349350

Customer Reviews:

Unexpected.......2004-11-10

I borrowed this book from our library and read it to my children last night. I was absolutely amazed by the message. I have three children (6,2,1). My father went to the Crystal Palace this year, and although all my children met him, only my six-year-old will keep a few of the memories. As I read the book last night, my six-year-old reafirmed that he is a Prince, and his grandfather is with the King at the Crystal Palace.

This is absolutely the best book on teaching children who they really are, and reminding us adults how we should behave. This is better than any self-help book, and a must for everyone with or without children.

Eye opener.......2003-10-16

This book opened my eyes to the possibility to be able to be with my King again. Even though we have stuggles and trials there is a path for us to follow to be able to reach that crystal palace. And no matter what we do our KING will always love us.It was read to me during a homemaking night and was not something that i expected to touch me in so many ways.

Incredible book!.......2001-12-31

I sat down with my family last night and read this book to them. I had been putting it off for quite a while. Now I wish I had done it when first purchased!

Rachel Ann Nunes told a story of eternal truths without telling it. My children jumped to all the right conclusions without me ever mentioning them in the story or the explanation of it.

Book Description

Well-known and respected children's author Barbara Cohen has written a compelling biography of David, from his slaying of Goliath through his persecution by King Saul and his ascension to the throne of a newly united Israel. Recasting the biblical narrative in modern language, Ms. Cohen creates a multifaceted, colorful, and very human figure-David the soldier, politician, administrator, lover, father, poet, and religious leader. Her carefully researched account draws on today's knowledge of archaeology, history, politics, and psychology, and discusses David's continuing influence on Judeo-Christian religious beliefs and on the folklore of many peoples.

Customer Reviews:

AN INTRODUCTION TO KING DAVID FOR YOUNG READERS.......2004-04-18

Barbara Cohen has penned a lucid, easy to comprehend biography of King David for young readers.

King David is, of course, one of the richest, most absorbing lives chronicled in Scripture. Through this author's eyes the sometimes enigmatic ruler is seen as a poet, soldier, politician, father, lover, and religious leader. Perhaps most important of all, he is seen as a human being.

Book Description

Illus. in full color. "The accurate and lively version of the Bible story is written with a limited vocabulary suited to beginning readers. The short, simple sentences are nicely varied and read aloud well. The water-color illustrations are well-designed, amusing, and expressive. A good choice for beginning readers."--School Library Journal.

Customer Reviews:

David & the Giant scores big!.......2000-05-25

David and the Giant is a delightful book. It tells the storyof David and Goliath in a way that has our son captivated and theartwork is bright and interesting. We have been searching for bible story books that would engage and interest our 2 1/2 year old for sometime. We have finally found a real winner! I highly recommend this book!

Average customer rating:

Great telling of the story
Fantastic book for young readers!

David and Goliath (A Bible Story)
Jean Marzollo
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316741388

Book Description

he third title in an exciting new series by Jean Marzollo, here is another refreshing rendition of a well-loved classic that will appeal to families looking for accessible introductions to the timeless lessons of the Bible. Meet the musical and poetic David, who surprises everyone when he draws on his faith, determination, and skill and accepts the terrifying challenge issued by the enormous warrior Goliath. A chattering flock of little lambs gambol in the border running at the bottom of each page, adding the childlike commentary and humor that makes this series so unusually dynamic. Marzollo's energetic illustrations draw the reader into the heart of this suspenseful tale.

Customer Reviews:

Great telling of the story.......2007-07-09

While there is no shortage of books with bible stories for young children, there are few that do a good job of it. This is a great book -- I recommend it highly.

Fantastic book for young readers!.......2004-05-11

This version of the bible story David and Goliath is fantastic! It tells the story with full-color drawings done by the author and tells the story clearly for kids from 4-10. It will make your kids smile at the sometimes silly drawings, but while they are laughing, the story is sinking in also. This is one of the best renditions of this story I have ever read, and highly recommend it. The little sheep at the bottom of each page never hesitate to add their cute comments as seen from a sheep's point of view, either. My kids really enjoyed this book and I'm sure yours will too.

The Legend of King Arthur: A Young Reader's Edition of the Classic Story by Howard Pyle

Average customer rating:

The Legend of King Arthur: A Young Reader's Edition of the Classic Story by Howard Pyle
David Borgenicht , and Howard Pyle
Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1561385034

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Wonderful find
An instant favorite!
This "Kiss" doesn't miss a thing
A great find
Cute bedtime book

The Kiss That Missed
David Melling
Manufacturer: Barron''s Educational Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0764154516
Release Date: 2001-12-08

Amazon.com

This disarmingly cute bedtime story from writer-illustrator-dad David Melling (Where Are You?) follows a busy king whose misfired good-night kiss flies right past his son and out the window.

"Once upon a Tuesday the king was in a hurry as usual. 'Goodnight,' he said and blew his son a Royal Kiss." But after rattling around the young prince's room and finding its way out the window, the Royal Kiss hurtles off into a dark and snowy forest. "Follow that Kiss!" commands the king to his loyal knight, and so begins a lengthy, silly chase scene. Even the putative bad guys in this story-- "growly" bears, "swoopy" owls, "dribbly" wolves, and a gigantic dragon--get a shot at providing comic relief, as the kiss streaks and swoops its way through the woods with the not-too-brave knight in hot pursuit.

The inspired illustrations and excellent design alone make this book a fun one, but it's Melling's restrained but infectious sense of fun that will ensure many repeat reads. From the comically animated lion emblazoned on the knight's shield to the forest creatures who seem to dance as they flee the dragon, Melling is clearly having a good time as he tucks us in--and when it comes to ensuring sweet dreams, that almost beats an accurately delivered good-night kiss. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

Book Description

One evening, when the King is in a hurry, his goodnight kiss to the Little Prince goes astray. After rattling around the Prince's bedroom, it flies out the window and floats into the dark forest, where it has no business to be. The King decides to do something about it. He orders the Knight to climb on his horse, ride into the forest, and bring back the kiss. But the forest is filled with spooky things that frighten both the Knight and his horse. How will they ever succeed in bringing the kiss back to the castle? This funny story features Daivd Melling's atmospheric and richly colored illustrations on every page. It makes a great bedtime story for kids who are about the same age as the Little Prince. (Ages 4-7)

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful find.......2003-08-14

I took this out from the library and boy did we enjoy this book. The illustrations remind me of Disney cartoons. The plot is so fun and everything ends up happily ever after. Whats wrong with that? Shouldn't bed time be peaceful and funny? Even this parent enjoyed it. A great good night read. I'm going to purchase one for me and my 5 year old.

An instant favorite!.......2003-07-17

I bought this book as a birthday present for my two year old daughter. She and her three year old sister have decided it is their new favorite bedtime book! The writing makes it easy for grown-ups to add a little pizazz with voices and excitement, and there are not too many words on each page which lends itself well to younger children's attention spans. The artistry is excellent and serves as a perfect backdrop to the comedy of the tale. A perfect bedtime story!

This "Kiss" doesn't miss a thing.......2003-04-07

What might happen if a king's goodnight kiss is blown to his son, but accidentally misses...and lands on a dragon instead? In this funny picture book for little princes everywhere, that's exactly the dilemma at hand. The king is in too big of a hurry to give his son a proper tucking in bed, so the kiss goes astray, floating out the Prince's bedroom window. The king orders his knight to mount his horse and give chase, but the forest is filled with spooky things. Faced with bears and wolves, they loose sight of the kiss, which flies right up the nose of a giant green dragon. As the knight ponders the problem, a bigger problem finds him when the dragon takes chase. Will this the tragic end of the knight and his horse? The big kiss off? Author/illustrator David Melling ("Gerda The Goose") builds the climax into a grin-worthy story twist, and the moral of the story is one that will not be taken lightly by all those too-busy dads out there. This "Kiss" doesn't miss a thing.

A great find.......2003-02-03

I picked this book up by chance, and my son will not let me put in down! It is great. The illustrations are very detailed and lead to great conversations. It is almost a shame it is a "bedtime book" because we get so involved in talking about the story and the pictures that he doesn't really get sleepy. It is a favorite of us both. I am sure that this will be the gift we bring to every birthday party we are invited to in the future.

Cute bedtime book.......2002-10-15

I read this to my 4 year old before she goes to sleep each night. It's become one of her favorites. It's the story of a hurried goodnight kiss that a king blows to his young son. Of course the kiss misses and the king sends his loyal knight to retrieve it. The knight and his horse have a little adventure ending with the kiss being returned to it's intended recipient. The book has cute, well executed illustrations, but the ending just doesn't seem like an end. Otherwise I would have given a full 5 stars. Still, I'd recommend it.

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