I have rolled my eyes in print more than once about the TV and screen biblical epics that are epically bad, veering from maudlin to overblown. At Christmas I commented on the Netflix film, Mary, with Anthony Hopkins ranting and raving as the evil Herod -- or so I've heard because the withering reviews steered me away.
The latest is the House of David series on Amazon Prime with episodes addressing his early life as a shepherd, his fraught relationship with King Saul, including the defeat of Goliath, and his troubled reign as Saul's successor. One reviewer sniffed that the developers of the series were trying too hard to be like Game of Thrones and watching about a third of the first episode I could see that coming. I doubt I'll go back.
Truth be told, the biblical story of David, shepherd, musician/psalmist, rebel, and monarch is the archetypal Game of Thrones story, with different leaders and pretenders sitting on the throne of Israel, or fighting to get there.
Jonathan greeting David after David killed Goliath -- Gottfried Bernhard Göz
The David saga unfolds in 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel and the drama is compelling. I've written about the sad fact that some of the best biblical dramas including Joseph and his brothers, as well as the story of David, roll out in the ecumenical lectionary during the summer months when people tend to avoid church like a biblical plague. The series of vignettes is remarkably honest, with all the nastiness, duplicity, and sex you could hope for. There has even been speculation about the intense bromance between David and Jonathan, Saul's son.
The default psalm for Ash Wednesday is 51, in which David expresses his remorse for sending Uriah to his death in battle because he lusted after Uriah's wife, Bathsheba. David ends up being tricked into acknowledging his guilt by the prophet Nathan who doesn't confront his king directly for fear of being killed. In some respects it's a surprise that David is a biblical hero because his personal life was such a mess.
Hey, if you don't like the movie or series, read the book!
One of the few examples of painted table top, kept in exceptional condition. Painted for Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg, archbishop of Mainz and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire. 1 - The women go out from Jerusalem to meet Saul and David. 2 - Bathsheba Bathing, coveted by David (with the portrait of Cardinal Albert Brandenburg right). 3 - Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, the siege of Rabbath which sent David (to lose). 4 - The prophet Nathan accuses David his fault (with the portrait of the artist left ).
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