In order to illustrate the use of Biblical studies to test social scientific theory, an hypothesis is developed, based on Swanson's Religion and Regime, which relates properties of central government to belief in the immanence of high god in the society served by the government. Specifically, belief in the immanence of high god is hypothesized to be prevalent in society whose government is an absolute monarchy and/or exercises gubernaculum in matters pertaining to providing common defense, ensuring domestic order and tranquility and establishing judiciary without, in principle, considering any special interest. Examination of religious beliefs and governmental structures in the Kingdom of Judah under the Davidic dynasty (ca. 1000-587 B.C.E.) supports the hypothesis. Use of Biblical and other sources indicates there was belief in the immanence of God and that political structures were as specified by the hypothesis. The value of Biblical material as an aid to the testing, assessment and development of social scientific theory is thus illustrated. The mutually beneficial nature of cross-disciplinary work involving the social sciences and Biblical studies is stressed. Within recent years, Wilson (1977, 1979, 1980) and other Biblical scholars (e.g., Carroll, 1979; Cohen, 1965; Gottwald, 1979a, 1979b:3-22) have called for the use of insights gleaned from social scientific inquiries to aid in the understanding of Israelite religion as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible.' The essential reason for such call is, as Wilson (1979:175) observes, 'A general dissatisfaction with traditional interpretative methods such as source criticism, form criticism, tradition criticism and redaction criticism and a growing recognition of their limitations. In the hope of overcoming the limitations of traditional methods, the findings and insights of various social science disciplines have been used as an aid to understanding one aspect or another of Biblical accounts. For example, Gottwald (1979b) has used sociological theories such as those of Marx, Weber and Durkheim, in study of Israelite religion in the premonarchic period. Wilson has employed the findings of anthropological studies to further the understanding of both the use of genealogies (Wilson, 1977) in biblical accounts and the function, nature and social location of prophecy (Wilson, 1980). Cohen (1965) applied principles of institutional behavior to enrich his understanding of the role of the Shilonite priests. Carroll