TEHETSÉGTÁMOGATÁS A
PÁZMÁNY PÉTER KATOLIKUS EGYETEM KILENC TUDOMÁNYÁGÁBAN
TÁMOP-4.2.2/B-10/1-2010-0014
DAVID IN CULTURAL MEMORY
Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Faculty of Humanities
Doctoral School in History
Piliscsaba campus, 9-10 October, 2013
Historical books of the Bible represent the figures of Saul, David, and Solomon as
kings, David indeed being portrayed as the model founder of a dynasty. The regrettable lack of
evidence resulting from sources unattached to the biblical text makes it impossible to complete
the work of an authentical reconstruction of the historical reality behind these figures.
Considering these traverses, the object of our conference is not to give a political reading to the
biblical sources but rather to interprete the images of David in written and iconographic
traditions – David’s figure, as it is framed in the deuteronomic historiography, and in the
memory of the Chronicles, papers exposing the intentions, purposes, and methods of the
redactors of these texts as well as revealing their use of patents and schemas of ancient Near
Eastern literature, topoi, genres, and other literary models. Another theme to deal with is the
figure of David in postbiblical literature as well as in late antique and medieval Jewish and
Christian sources, the role of the Davidic figure as a model for kings of the posterity.
Biblical psalms are also acquainted with David’s name, some of the compositions being
credited with David as their author, and episodes of the Davidic career being referred to as
model situation for the composition. Postbiblical memory had retained the memory of the
psalmist David, and even vested his figure with a magical authority. References to psalms and
to David’s name in compositions written with magical, apotropaic purpose, and examples of
David being represented as Orpheus on mosaics from the late antiquity give further evidence to
a tradition related with David as a magical figure.
Papers on David in cultural memory are welcomed. Please send an abstract of max. 250
words with your proposal to: [email protected]
Prof. Ida Fröhlich
1
Pázmány Péter Katolikus Egyetem
1088 Budapest, Szentkirályi u. 28.
www.ppke.hu
www.ujszechenyiterv.gov.hu