Historical Inquiry in Sacred Texts: The Kings of Israel and the Question of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, King of the Jews, and Messiah

Abstract

The history of the kings of Israel is closely connected not only with the history of ancient Israel and the Jewish people but also with broader questions of religious memory, political legitimacy, and the transmission of sacred narratives. Larysa Karaliova devoted several chapters of her unpublished manuscript to the historical and theological interpretation of kingship, state formation, political legitimacy, and the historical memory of ancient Israel. These chapters formed part of a broader interdisciplinary work on American and European policy, industrial development, and historical progress. The work was inspired by a personal meeting with former French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing in 2011, as described by Brondz (2025). This article is the third contribution in the series Historical Inquiry in Sacred Texts, following the articles “A Theological and Historical Inquiry Into the 1915-23 Extermination of Christians Under Ottoman Rule: Part I” and “Historical Inquiry in Sacred Texts: Prophecy and Political Conflicts”. It examines how the early kings of Israel are represented in religious and historical traditions and how these representations have shaped the memory of the Israelite monarchy in antiquity, throughout the Jewish Diaspora, in relation to the modern State of Israel, and in broader global discourse. The study draws on the Torah, the Bible, selected Qur’anic passages, historical and archaeological scholarship, and personal observations made during visits to Israel. Particular attention is given to the relationship between sacred narrative, political authority, collective memory, and later confessional interpretation.