On editorial license and the legend of David: David raises the heretofore undistinguished Canaanite city of Jerusalem and the Judean Samuelite (Southern) priesthood to their positions of religious dominance, at the expense of Shiloh and the Elide (Northern) priesthood. Solomon cultivates the priests, installing the line of Zadok as High Priests, and so Solomon’s sudden unlineal accession is justified at the expense of the legitimate heir, Adonijah. The Judean Zadokite priesthood (J) later edit and write the two main works of Israelite history: Genesis to Second Kings (G2K) and Chronicles (Chron), in which David is absolved of any knowledge of or guilt in the deaths of his many enemies: Saul, Abner, Ishbosheth, and Absolom. Indeed, while G2K invents alibis for all David’s numerous improprieties in his rise to power and reign: that David was serving the Philistine king Achish when Achish’s forces killed Saul; and the irregularities of David’s reign: his alliance with Nahash, king of Ammon, enemy of Israel; extermination of Saul’s rightful successor, Ishbosheth, and the rest of Saul’s line; Bathsheba; Absalom; Sheba; Adonijah; and Solomon’s secret accession. Chronicles simply ignores them. Chronicles overlaps with parts of G2K, but is a more theologized (pro-Judean) version - stressing the role of Levites, virtually ignoring affairs of the north (Israel), exaggerating numbers, replete with miraculous events, and giving a highly idealized version of David. Legends unique to Chronicles must be approached with caution, and are best viewed as a compendium of purposeful inventions from pro-Davidic Judean sources. ~~~~~~~