The story of The Secret Book of Kings is built out of a deep understanding of the text of the Bible itself, the interpretive tradition of the ancient Rabbis, and the discoveries of modern academic Biblical scholarship, which discovered that the Bible was composed of sources rooted in the southern kingdom of Judah and from sources rooted in the northern kingdom of Israel. Readers who wish to learn more after reading the novel can find many wonderful books, audio and video lectures and courses, and websites that are accessible to and enjoyable by non-experts.
We have collected many of the best resources below.
Please let us know if we left off something that has been especially valuable to you by sending an email to info@secretbookofkings.com
Web-Based Resources
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Sefaria
Original Hebrew texts, English translations, and traditional Jewish commentaries, all easily searchable.
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The Bible and Interpretation
A guide to the latest discoveries and scholarship in modern Biblical studies.
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Biblical Geocoding
Chapter-by-chapter mapping of every location mentioned in the Bible. Use along with this web site's Guide to Biblical Allusions
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The Early Kings of Israel
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Modern Biblical Scholarship
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Midrash and the Bible as Literature
Scholarly Works on the Kingdoms of David and Solomon:
1. The Forgotten Kingdom: The Archaeology and History of Northern Israel, by Israel Finkelstein presents the first comprehensive history of the northern kingdom and description of the archaeology of northern Israel from the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1350 B.C.E.) until the kingdom's fall in 720 B.C.E. and beyond.
2. David's Secret Demons: Messiah, Murderer, Traitor, King, by Baruch Halpern argues that the real David was a ruthless individual who was willing to murder or have murdered all of Saul's family in order to secure the throne.
3. And You Shall Tell Your Son, by Yair Zackovitch investigates the influence of the Exodus tradition on the ideological, paying particular attention to questions such as: Why were the Israelites enslaved in Egypt and Why did the Exodus traditions take on such enormous dimensions in the Bible?
4. David and Solomon: In Search of the Bible's Sacred Kings and the Roots of the Western Tradition, by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman focuses on David and Solomon as a window into the entire biblical era. It covers one thousand years of ancient civilization, separating fact from legend and proving that the roots of the western tradition lie very deep.
Books on Biblical Criticism
Who Wrote the Bible?, by Richard E. Friedman
The Bible Unearthed, by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman
Relevant Works of Fiction:
The King David Report, by Stefan Heym
The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant
Online Courses on Similar Subject Matter:
Open Yale Courses with Professor Christine Hayes
Professor Shaye Cohen on iTunesU
Teaching Company Stuff on Audible