Star of Jacob, and a Sceptre of Israel: King David’s Image in Priest Ideology

Abstract

This article examines the peculiarities of royal power’s representation in the ideology of priests in early Judaism. Researchers of Judaism deem this period important since it is then that the basic ideas about the power institutions of society, their attributes, functions, and features were laid. The institution of the royal power appears to be the most significant here: this power transforms from purely secular to religious, and the priest becomes the king. This research is devoted to the aspects of these transformations that were not previously given due attention: the reflection of the authors who lived during this epoch upon the biblical king David’s image and his place in the new doctrine of power. Besides the understanding of the image within the scope of secular power, it also played an important role in the formation of priestly ideology in the period examined. Exploring the data from three sources (The 1st Book of Maccabees, The Book of Sirach, and The Damascus Document), the author concludes that the development of King David’s image perception took place in the following directions. The first one did not deny the possibility of the Davidic dynasty heir’s return but focused its attention on building a new doctrine of power, which would center around the figure of the elected priest. The second direction represented King David as a figure of the past, creating a new doctrine of power, where only a priest could lead the society. The third direction, represented by Qumran, radically revised the prophecies about the return of David’s bloodline to the throne: in their view, the Qumran community becomes King David by itself and receives primacy in Israel.