The Beginning of Politics: Power in the Biblical Book of Samuel

Philosopher and legal scholar Halbertal and law professor at NYU Holmes analyze political power as depicted during the Biblical reigns of Saul and David in the Book of Samuel. Rather than present the book as a partisan narrative in favor of either king, the authors approach the work as an astute description of how leaders are made and unmade through the power of the state. Following an introduction that briefly contextualizes events in history and situates the authors’ analysis in the context of previous works on the book, the facets of their argument are laid out in four chapters of densely woven exegesis. Chapter one considers how political leaders often become singularly obsessed with maintaining their own power; chapter two explores the violence of paranoid and entitlement politics; chapter three considers the dangers of continuity and disruption as power passes from one leader to another; chapter four focuses on the end of King David’s life. At times, the authors’ admiration for the anonymous author (or authors) of the Book of Samuel distracts from their narrative analysis. Readers also may be disappointed that women receive scant attention in this analysis of political power, except as subjects of male lust and violence. Familiarity with the Book of Samuel, or a concurrent reading of the biblical text, is strongly recommended. (May)