(fl. 11th-10th BCE)
King of Israel (c. 1001-986 BCE). David's life is divided into three main phases: the first when Saul was alive; the second when he was king in Judah (c. 1008-1001 BCE); the third when he was king over all Israel. A warrior king, he succeeded in uniting the tribes of Israel and created a kingdom that dominated surrounding peoples and attained power and riches. The Psalms were supposed to have been written by him. The account of his life appears in I Samuel 16ff., II Samuel, I Kings 1-2, and I Chronicles lOff.
Dictionary of Jewish Biography. Dan Cohn-Sherbok.