Jewish History Nerds

King David: Legend, Hero, Human (Sponsored by Jewish Lives)

June 9, 2026·52 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Few figures in all of Jewish history are as celebrated, as contradicted, and as human as King David. But how well do we really know him? We're kicking off new bonus episodes in partnership with the Jewish Lives series from Yale University Press by going back to the Hebrew Bible. Drawing from Rabbi David Wolpe's David: The Divided Heart, Yael and Schwab unpack the shepherd-turned-king who wrote our prayers, betrayed his allies, and cast a shadow on Jewish history that endures to this day. This episode is sponsored by Jewish Lives, a prize-winning series of biographies from Yale University Press. To learn more about King David's life, identity, and legacy, you should check out David: The Divided Heart by David Wolpe at ⁠www.jewishlives.org⁠ and you can use the special promo code DAVIDPOD to get 30% off.

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Jewish History Nerds and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.