| Are about as close as you come to good historical novels in the OT. Really one book sort of like the three synoptic books of NT, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This book is very good and covers the ground well. I wish it were longer. From an historical point of view, it comports well with what is unambiguously agreed upon as historical events. (David has been getting his knocks lately, but he is still the KING.) I prefer to think of it in the classical sense, the end of the third phase of ancient Hebrew writings (of 12 as commonly stated) So, if you compared it to Gibbons "Decline & Fall of Roman Empire" you would be up to around chapter 30 of Gibbons. I read these thing with a critical eye for finding fault, and find little to fault in this book, except to wish it were wider and longer. An index with cross references such as to Elephantine documents or even Greek or Syrian writings might have been usefull. But this is a great small book. I read it almost straight through. I think you will actually find it easy reading and hard to lay down. | 
