Royalty in Israel

Book Categories: History & Royalty, King Saul, Moses, David, Solomon, Jezebel, Herod, Esther, Genealogy, Other, DVDs, Children's Books, Middle East

History & Royalty

The Israelites: An Introduction by Antony Kamm. A concise introduction to the kingdoms of Israel and Judah up to 135 AD. Includes maps, a chronology, and a bibliography. Clearly written and very interesting.

Chronicle of the Old Testament Kings: The Reign-By-Reign Record of the Rulers of Ancient Israel by John Rogerson. Contains information on every ruler, family trees, maps, portraits, and more. Although this book is informative, it's a bit dry and fragmentary; I would recommend reading the above title by Antony Kamm first.

Kings of the Jews: The Origins of the Jewish Nation by Norman Gelb. Explores the united Israelite kingdom under David and Solomon, the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the Babylonian exile, the Roman conquest of Jerusalem, and more. With illustrations, maps, chronologies, and index.

Kings and Prophets: The State and Resistance to the State in the Ancient World by Cristiano Grottanelli. Deals with Biblical royalty.

Royal Dynasties in Ancient Israel by Tom Ishida covers 1200 B.C. to 953 B.C.

The Early Monarchy in Israel: The Tenth Century B.C.E. by Walter Dietrich, translated by Joachim Vette.

Historical Israel, Biblical Israel: Studying Joshua to 2 Kings by Mary E. Mills. The Old Testament tells the story of ancient Israel from its origins to its collapse in the face of foreign invaders. But how does it fit in with archaeological findings?

Good Kings and Bad Kings edited by Lester L. Grabbe. Some of the essays in this book survey the history and archaeology of Judah from Sennacherib to Nebuchadnezzar. Several examine the reign of Manasseh. Others ask what we know of the reign of Josiah and what form his famous cult reform took, and whether it was historical.

The Body Royal: The Social Poetics of Kingship in Ancient Israel by Mark W. Hamilton. Argues that the royal psalms contain official notions about the royal body and its use. The king was thought to have an outsized, superhuman body owing to his being the son of the deity, a status he attained upon his coronation.

Piety and Politics by Dale Launderville. The dynamics of royal authority in Homeric Greece, biblical Israel, and old Babylonian Mesopotamia.

The Older Testament: The Survival of Themes From the Ancient Royal Cult in Sectarian Judaism and Early Christianity by Margaret Barker. Shows how closely early Christian expectations were based upon the ancient royal cult in Jerusalem.

In the Service of the King: Officialdom in Ancient Israel and Judah by Nili Sacher Fox. Analyzes the titles and roles of civil officials and functionaries, including palace attendants, in Israel and Judah during the monarchic period.

Studies on the Royal Administration in Ancient Israel in the Light of Epigraphic Sources by Yitzhak Avishur and M. Heltzer.

Hebrew Inscriptions: Texts From the Biblical Period of the Monarchy With Concordance by Allsopp F.W. Dobbs, J.J.M. Roberts, C.L. Seow, Richard E. Whitaker. Includes all substantive Hebrew inscriptions from the Iron II (pre-exilic) period, an introduction to every inscription, and a bibliography of secondary literature.

Critical Appraisal of the Origin and Nature of the Institution of the Monarchy in Israel in the Light of Eric Voegelin's Theory of Symbolic Forms by Caroline J. Nolan. A study of the development of the monarchy in Israel in its move from compactness to differentiation.

There's Such Divinity Doth Hedge a King: Selected Essays of Nicolas Wyatt on Royal Ideology in Ugaritic and Old Testament Literature by Nicolas Wyatt. Explores early cultural influences on Israelite kingship.

Jeremiah's Kings: A Study of the Monarchy in Jeremiah by John Brian Job. Examines the treatment of rulers contemporary with the prophet and shows that the attitude to these kings varied greatly from one part of the book to another.

Moses

Moses - The Prince, the Prophet; His Life, Legend & Message for Our Lives by Rabbi Levi Meier. Explores a life intertwined with the story of a people, from the Exodus to the revelation on Sinai. The author draws on stories from the Book of Exodus, ancient Jewish texts, mystic teachings, modern texts, and psychotherapy.

More Books About Moses

Fiction About Moses

Moses, Man of the Mountain by Zora Neal Hurston. A retelling of the story of Moses serves as an allegory for the struggle of American blacks for release from slavery.

The Midwife's Song by Brenda Ray. Novel about the birth of Moses.

The Shadow Women by Angela Elwell Hunt. A novel that tells Moses's story from the point of view of three women: his sister, his adoptive mother, and his wife. (Christian fiction.)

(Scroll down to the DVD section for movies and documentaries about Moses.)

King Saul

Saul and the Monarchy: A New Look by Simcha Shalom Brooks. The Bible is biased in favour of King David at the expense of King Saul. This book presents a more positive picture of Saul.

King Saul in the Historiography of Judah by Diana Vikander Edelman. A close reading of 1 Samuel 8 to 2 Samuel 1 from the perspective of an ancient Israelite. The study reveals a coherent, carefully developed narrative of Saul's career as the first king of Israel.

How Are the Mighty Fallen? A Dialogical Study of King Saul in 1 Samuel by Barbara Green. Argues that the narrative of 1 Samuel may be read as a riddle propounding the complex story of Israel/Judah's experience with kings as an instruction for those pondering leadership choices in the sixth century.

King Saul's Asking by Barbara Green. Explores the characterization of Saul and the multiple complexities of responsibility for kingship. The author is a professor of Biblical studies.

Three Faces of Saul: An Intertextual Approach to Biblical Tragedy by Sarah Nicholson. Compares the classic Biblical tragedy of Saul with later reworkings in Lamartine's drama "Saul: Tragedie" and Thomas Hardy's novel "The Mayor of Casterbridge."

The Reign and Rejection of King Saul: A Case for Literary and Theological Coherence by V. Philips Long.

The King and the Apostle by Myrtle Nord. Fictionalized account of Saul's life from a Christian perspective.

The Prince: Jonathan by Francine Rivers. Novel about the oldest son of King Saul (Christian fiction).

King David

David's Secret Demons: Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King by Baruch Halpern examines the historical evidence about the life of King David of Israel.

King David: A Biography by Steven L. McKenzie is a revisionist account of a life that has been viewed as heroic throughout history. Taking a stance against this traditional view, Hebrew scholar Steven L. McKenzie maintains that David was in fact tyrannical. Thus, McKenzie's version of the David story reads like a modern soap opera, with plenty of sex, violence, and struggles for power. (Review © Amazon.com.)

King David: The Real Life of the Man Who Ruled Israel by Jonathan Kirsch. Reminds readers that David is not myth but human, both heroic and flawed. (Review © Amazon.com.)

The Life of David by Robert Pinsky. The former poet laureate of the United States plumbs the depths of David's life: his triumphs and his failures, his charm and his cruelty, his divine destiny and his human humiliations.

David and Solomon: In Search of the Bible's Sacred Kings and the Roots of the Western Tradition by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman. The earliest folklore about King David depicts him as a bandit leader. Later authors added images of David as a poet and founder of a great dynasty. This book shows shows how the stories of David and Solomon reflect the roots of Western tradition.

King David in Fiction

Queenmaker: A Novel of King David's Queen by India Edghill. A novel about Michal, daughter of King Saul and wife of King David.

Michal by Jill Eileen Smith. When King Saul's daughter Michal falls in love with her father's harpist, David, she has no idea what romance, adventures, and heartache await her. From the Wives of King David series. (Christian fiction.)

Gods and Kings by Lynn Austin. Tells the story of King Hezekiah, heir to the throne of King David. When his father plots to sacrifice him, his mother searches frantically for a way to save him. (Christian fiction.)

King Solomon

The Age of Solomon edited by Lowell K. Handy. Essays about Solomon and 10th century BC Judah and Israel.

Solomon's New Men by Eric William Heaton. About the emergence of ancient Israel as a national state. Out of print, but available at Alibris.

The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth, and Happiness by Steven K. Scott. Promises to reveal King Solomon's "breakthrough strategies to achieve a life of financial success and personal fulfillment."

Jezebel

Music in the Old Bones: Jezebel Through the Ages by Janet Howe Gaines. Jezebel, who lived in the 9th century B.C., was a Phoenician princess who married King Ahab of Israel. She was hated as a foreigner and eventually murdered. Although she is remembered as a symbol of evil, this book argues that she was unfairly scapegoated through the ages.

Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen by Lesley Hazleton. Biography of the proud and courageous queen of Israel, who was vilified by her political enemies.

Jezebel: Portraits of a Queen by Patricia Dutcher-Walls. Provides insight into two depictions of Jezebel: Jezebel the story character, taken from narrative criticism, and Jezebel the queen, drawn from a sociological study.

The Jezebel Letters: Religion and Politics in Ninth-Century Israel by Eleanor Ferris Beach. Fictional account of an assassination conspiracy told from the viewpoint of the notorious Queen Jezebel. (Christian fiction)

Books About the Queen of Sheba

King Herod

Herod: King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans by Peter Richardson presents a complex portrait of Herod.

The Death of Herod: An Essay in the Sociology of Religion by Richard K. Fenn. About Herod's death and burial.

The Building Program of Herod the Great by Duane W. Roller. An essential aspect of Herod's responsibilities as king of Judaea was his role as a builder. Remarkably innovative, he created an astonishing record of architectural achievement, not only in Judaea but also throughout Greece and the Roman east.

King Herod: Current Applications and Future Perspectives by Aryeh Kasher. Discusses the enigma of King Herod, who was both a bloodthirsty tyrant and a great builder. According to this book, his mental state was consistent with Paranoid Personality disorder. Haunted by delusions, he executed almost anyone suspected of treason, including his wife and three sons.

The Tragedy of Mariam the Fair Queen of Jewry by Elizabeth Cary, Barry Weller, and Margaret W. Ferguson. This 17th century play about Herod's wife Mariamne was the first original play by a woman to be published in England.

Other

King Josiah of Judah: The Lost Messiah of Israel by Marvin A. Sweeney.

The King and the Cemeteries: Toward a New Understanding of Josiah's Reform by W. Boyd Barrick.

Books About Queen Esther of Persia & Purim
Books About Jews in Iran
Books About Jewish Royal Genealogy
More Books About the Middle East

Children's Books

King David by Louise Chipley Slavicek. Biography for young adult readers.

Solomon by Jennifer Vance. Biography for young adult readers.

Herod the Great by Robert Green. A biography for children ages 9-12.

Pharaoh's Daughter by Julius Lester. Young adult novel about Moses. Armed with an impressive knowledge of the Hebrew language and the history of ancient Egypt, the author brings a fresh and richly detailed perspective to the Exodus. (Review © Amazon.com.)

Children's Books About Queen Esther

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On DVD

These DVDs are formatted for North American audiences.

Moses

Moses and the Ten Commandments. This TV documentary tells the story of the Exodus in all its majesty, using abundant location footage, rare paintings and artifacts, and interviews with Biblical experts.

Who Was Moses? Documentary. Did Moses exist, and did he lead his people through the wilderness to the promised land? The evidence from Egyptian records, scientific studies, and biblical research suggests that he did. Sometimes available at Amazon.

Moses. Academy Award-winner Ben Kingsley plays Moses in this movie about an ordinary man called upon by God to become a great leader.

The Ten Commandments. Famous 1956 film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, with Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as Ramses.

The Prince of Egypt. 1998 animated film about Moses's youth, featuring the voices of Val Kilmer, Patrick Stewart, and Ralph Fiennes.

King David

The Conquerors: King David. King David ruled peacefully for over 40 years. But with one mistake, he set in motion a string of tragedies that nearly destroyed his family and his kingdom. This program tells David's story, drawing on rare paintings and artifacts, interviews with experts, and visits to ancient holy lands.

King David. 1985 movie starring Richard Gere as David.

David and Bathsheba. A 1951 movie with Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward in the title roles.

King Solomon

Solomon & Sheba: An Epic Love Story. Despite his 700 wives, King Solomon was a lonely and introspective man for much of his rule. Who was the mysterious queen who finally captured his heart?

Digging for the Truth: Quest for King Solomon's Gold. Of all the rulers mentioned in the Bible, King Solomon was purportedly the wisest -- and the richest, thanks to goldmines in the mysterious land of Ophir. But where can Ophir be found today? From the History Channel.

The Bible - Solomon. This 2000 movie chronicles the rise of Solomon (Ben Cross) from a weakling mama's boy to a ruler known for his wisdom, international alliances, and oh yes, those thousand wives. Vivica A. Fox plays the queen of Sheba. (Review © Amazon.com)

The Queen of Sheba. Movie starring Leonora Ruffo and Gino Cervi. When the son of King Solomon falls in love with the Queen of Sheba, their affair leads to an epic war pitting two powerful nations against one another.

More Videos & DVDs About the Queen of Sheba

Herod the Great

Treasure! King Herod's Lost City. Two thousand years ago, King Herod the Great built a wondrous city by the sea, but later rulers destroyed it rather than let it fall into enemy hands. After six centuries beneath the desert sand, the ancient city of Caesarea is finally revealing its secrets.

Queen Esther of Persia

DVDs About Queen Esther of Persia