Sefer Shemuel II: Archaeology

Sefer Shemuel II is about consolidating the rule of David haMelekh - the eponymous ruler of the Kingdom of Judah, hence “The House of David” in royal mentions by mesopotamian superpowers.

Shemuel II covers the territorial expanse and military campaigns of King David, and his internal and foreign affairs. From an archaeological standpoint, while there is little physical proof of his kingdom per se, there is a lot of archaeology which contextualizes his environment, the kingdoms he deals with, the names of their kings, the languages they spoke and the gods they worshiped. There are fortified cities from his time, and there are constantly new discoveries shedding light on this very important period.

This episode focuses on the period from when King David moved from Ziklag to Hebron to Jerusalem; The skirmish around the pool of Giv’on which almost led to civil war; capturing Jerusalem, and the building of the royal palace, and more.

Archaeology Snapshot is a discussion on the location, timeline, main characters and highlights from history and archaeology, for each Sefer in Tanach.