David

David was the biblical king who unites Judah and Israel and establishes Jerusalem as his capital. Before becoming king he is portrayed as a warrior against Goliath and a commander pursued by Saul; his reign includes wars, court intrigue, family rebellion and disputes over succession.

In Alistair Forrest’s Line in the Sand, an earlier edition of the same David-and-Goliath novel was published as Goliath in 2010; Line in the Sand became the later canonical title. In Geraldine Brooks’s The Secret Chord, the Secret Chord retells the life of David through the voice of the prophet Nathan, who records the king’s rise, victories, family conflicts and political failures. Other novels featuring David include James A. Michener’s The Source.