The Beginning of Politics

Power in the Biblical Book of Samuel

Moshe Halbertal, Stephen Holmes

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English

Princeton University Press
18 June 2019

Philosophy of religion; Jewish studies; Political science & theory; Religious & theocratic ideologies

How the book of Samuel offers a timeless meditation on the dilemmas of statecraftThe book of Samuel is universally acknowledged as one of the supreme achievements of biblical literature. Yet the book's anonymous author was more than an inspired storyteller. The author was also an uncannily astute observer of political life and the moral compromises and contradictions that the struggle for power inevitably entails. The Beginning of Politics mines the story of Israel's first two kings to unearth a natural history of power, providing a forceful new reading of what is arguably the first and greatest work of Western political thought.

Through stories such as Saul's madness, David's murder of Uriah, the rape of Tamar, and the rebellion of Absalom, the author of Samuel deepens our understanding not only of the necessity of sovereign rule but also of its costs-to the people it is intended to protect and to those who wield it. Moshe Halbertal and Stephen Holmes show how these beautifully crafted narratives cut to the core of politics, offering a timely meditation on the dark side of sovereign power and the enduring dilemmas of statecraft.

By: Moshe Halbertal, Stephen Holmes
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm,
ISBN: 9780691191683
ISBN 10: 0691191689
Pages: 232
Publication Date: 18 June 2019
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , General/trade , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Moshe Halbertal is the Gruss Professor of Law at New York University and the John and Golda Cohen Professor of Jewish Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Stephen Holmes is the Walter E. Meyer Professor of Law at New York University.