Analogies to the David Story in the ANE?

   

I found the following point interesting, especially the last sentence.

 

"Assessments of David as king range from Machiavellian scoundrel to a combination of saint and political genius, and there is much to be said for both portraits. The biblical story of David is ‘warts-and-all’ blunt, especially from 2 Samuel 11 to 1 Kings 1. His affair with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11) was no mere peccadillo. He was guilty not only of coveting and adultery but also of committing murder to cover up his misdeeds. There is no analogy for this sort of story in ancient Near Eastern fiction, lending credibility to the claim that such traditions about David are grounded in historical memory.”

George E. Mendenhall, Ancient Israel's Faith and History: An Introduction to the Bible in Context, ed. Gary A. Herion (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2001),112.