The Oxford Handbook on King David

30 November 2026

We are deeply honoured to welcome Professor Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, Professor in Old Testament Exegesis at ALT School of Theology in Sweden, and Professor David J. Shepherd, Professor of Hebrew Bible at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, to present their co-edited volume, The Oxford Handbook on King David, in conversation with Dr Jonathan Katz, Senior Fellow at Oxford Interfaith Forum and Public Orator at the University of Oxford.

About the book
Of all the characters in the Hebrew Scriptures, none have captured the imagination like David, King of Israel. The Oxford Handbook of King David traces this fascination, from the biblical books of Samuel and Kings, through the common era, the medieval period, and up to the present day. The authors interrogate David in his many biblical guises, including son, father, outlaw, soldier, lover, and king. Authors also situate him amongst a wider cast of characters. David’s presence in the wider Hebrew Bible and New Testament is also carefully considered along with David’s reception in later Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Crucially, this volume delves into the depiction of David’s story in the visual, literary, and performing arts over the centuries. His legacy and stories are traced from the paintings of Rembrandt and Rubens, to the sculpture of Bernini, to the music of Handel. Other contributions explore David’s literary afterlife, revealing his transformation in novels by Geraldine Brooks and Grete Weil, as well as the work of poets like Yehuda Amichai. The resonances of the David tradition with contemporary culture are also examined in chapters focused on trauma, sexual violence, and the interpretation of David for religious communities. Table of Contents is available here and online version is here.

Editors

Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, ALT School of Theology, Sweden

Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer is Professor in Old Testament at ALT School of Theology, having previously held academic posts in the UK and the US. Her research in biblical studies includes the prophetic literature, with a focus on Isaiah (e.g. For the Comfort of Zion, Brill, 2011), Zechariah (e.g. Zechariah and His Visions, T&T Clark, 2015), and Jonah (e.g. Jonah through the Centuries, Wiley-Blackwell, 2021), and the Bible in literature (e.g. In Search of Jonathan, OUP, 2023). She has also edited several books, most recently The Hebrew Bible in Contemporary Fiction and Poetry (Routledge, 2025) and written a plethora of peer-reviewed journal articles. She is the editor of the peer-reviewed monograph series Vetus Testamentum Supplement (Brill) and the monograph series The Bible through the Centuries (T&T Clark), and the President-elect of the Society of Old Testament Study (2027). In addition to offering multiple papers at international conferences, she has given invited lectures at universities and other institutions around the globe.

Professor Tiemeyer’s Selected Publications

Professor David Shepherd, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

David J. Shepherd is Professor in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and founding director of the Trinity Centre for Biblical Studies, in the School of Religion, Theology, and Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin, having previously held academic posts in the UK and Canada. His research in biblical studies includes the Hebrew Bible in its ancient literary context (e.g. King David, Innocent Blood, and Bloodguilt, OUP, 2023), its ancient versions (e.g. Targum and Translation, Royal Van Gorcum, 2004) and its reception in the visual and performing arts (e.g. The Bible on Silent Film, CUP, 2013). He is co-editor of the peer-reviewed Journal for the Study of the Old Testament (Sage) and monograph series, Studies of the Bible and its Reception (DeGruyter Brill), President of the International Organization for Targumic Studies and President-elect of the Society of Old Testament Study (2029). In addition to offering dozens of papers in international conferences, he has given invited lectures in universities and other institutions in the UK, continental Europe, North America and Australia.