Abstract

This monograph is a departure from many contemporary studies. At present, it is mainstream to doubt the historicity of the Saulide and early Davidic United Monarchy. F. and F., drawing on both archaeology and anthropology, present an alternative understanding of the non-biblical evidence. Part I of their book explores the biblical narrative in contemporary scholarship. The tone is conversational as F. and F. point out the discrepancies between the different textual sources that form the basis of the extant text. It also outlines why an early dating of Samuel lost its once dominant position, with special attention given to those archaeologists and biblical scholars who have doubted earlier archaeological findings. The section ends with a pithy statement about ‘skepticism about the skepticism’. Part II, which forms the core of the monograph, surveys the archaeological data from the tenth century
