| Storybook Home Introduction
1st Story: Sparked
2nd
Story: Flames 3rd Story: Smoke |
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Sunday
schools have championed him
as the ultimate underdog: a scrap of a boy facing a giant with nothing
but a slingshot--and winning. Writers have dramatized his life and
speculated on his love life in books, plays and films. Scholars have
debated whether he existed in the first place. Since I was a little girl, King David has been a favorite of mine. Call it a literary crush: of all the characters in books, he stole my imagination. He was a hero--strong, smart, lovable--definitely one of the good guys, but also one who made his share of mistakes. Adulthood has since arrived, complicating my view of many things, including King David. I know now that every writer, like a criminal, has a motive. And the Bible's motive, in short, is to make David look good. I fear that David had a dark side that the Bible seeks to conceal. Writing this storybook meant writing my way through a maze, trying to determine whether David was lover or loser, deliverer or dictator--or all at the same time. According to the Biblical book of Samuel, which was the source for my stories, David began life as a shepherd boy in ancient Israel. At that time, a man called Saul ruled the land. Saul was chosen because he was a good and "godly" man. However, after Saul began to disobey God's commands, he fell into disfavor with God and the prophet Samuel, at God's command, anointed young David as the next king. Both before and after attaining the throne, David's life was populated with captivating women. I chose to focus on them in this storybook because, taken together, they trace the arc of David's journey through life. Some of the most important women were Michal, Abigail and Bath-sheba, whose stories will be told here. In "Sparks," you will meet Michal, who was a beautiful young princess and the daughter of none other than Saul. As for Abigail in "Flames," David's first encounter with her is as fascinating as any lovers' meeting in literature. Steamiest by far, however, is his lust for the beautiful Bath-sheba in "Smoke" after he sees her bathing. Both Abigail and Bath-sheba were married when David cast his eye on them. In case you were wondering, these unions produced many children, notably Absalom and Solomon. David was especially fond of Absalom, who was physically strong and stunning. Tragically, however, Absalom never inherited his father's throne. The impulsive youth led a rebellion against his father and was eventually killed by the commander of David's own army. Solomon, on the other hand, whom the Bible calls "the wisest man," succeeded his father as king of Israel. Despite this sometimes tumultuous family life, David is not short on admirers. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all claim him. Judaism views him as the establisher of an ancient Jewish Kingdom in the Middle East. For Christians, he is the tyke who took on a giant, the credited author of many of the psalms found in the biblical book of Psalms and the ancestor of Jesus. For Muslims, he is "Daud" in Arabic, one of the revered prophets of Islam. Love him or hate him, believe in him or not, King David remains an intriguing and iconic figure. Traces of his presence, real or mythic, still weave through our society--not just through temples, churches and mosques, but through our own homes. In 2006, his name was the 13th most popular for boys. You will meet David on his death bed, as he retells the most amazing stories of his life to enthrall the beautiful young woman, Abishag. How much of what he says is truth and how much fiction--that is for you to decide. |