King David | King David’s Society
I often wonder what society would have looked like in the City of David three thousand years ago?
David was familiar with the Egyptian empire and took note of their legendary bureaucracy so much so that he used it as a blueprint.
The King showed great political ability. He unified the twelve tribes and gave them a neutral city from which to build an empire. He also brought the Ark of the Covenant into the city and gave it a resting place after its journey through the desert.
In an ideal world, David would not have put the Jebitities to death after taking the city, he would have left the blacksmiths to forge fires and bend metal to their will, the tradesmen to their trades, the washerwomen to their washing and, to that extent, the thieves to their thievery.
The Sad Giants of King David’s Society
Although David slew Goliath, he might have had other giants to fend off within the city walls! Hunger, want, disease, idleness, and ignorance abound in society.
Leprosy was the scourge of the ancient world, and hunger is its ugly partner.
Would David have fed the poor with loaves of bread like the Romans did in later years? Would he have provided games and drink so that the poor would forget their lot in life?
If a street urchin ran through the market and stole bread in the marketplace, would he have been punished by death?
Begging was a form of work and a mother might break her child’s leg so that he would have an income over the years.
Was that allowed on the streets of the city, or did soldiers sweep through the marketplace and ban the poor from begging?
The City and The Individual
The individual rights of the citizen and the greater good of society have always been at odds.
David seems to have been able to deftly work with manny hostile forces within his city and empire. Did individuals have rights back then?
In The Leper Messiah, we see Arlemay talking about the law and code of the Rose, all of which are taken from The Dead Sea Scrolls.
Excerpt from The Leper Messiah:
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“We shall set up tribunals and have judges who give us the law, on the property, men who are like shepherds, guiding us. They will be elected from a term and drawn from the Levi Tribe, four priests, and six laymen.”
“What about a property,” another asked?
“It is yours,” Arlemay explained.
“All you need give is two days pay towards charity and orphans and those less fortunate than yourselves.”
The other men looked on in approval
“But for lying about property and or stealing you must atone for six months…”
Did David incorporate these laws into a civic code?
Robert
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