The dilemma of King David: Reading Josephus' Antiquities against the grain through the lens of Greco-Roman tyrant typologies.

This article examines the portrayal of King David in Josephus’ *Antiquities*, arguing that despite Josephus’ intention to depict David as a noble and ideal Jewish monarch, his Greco-Roman audience could have interpreted David as a tyrant. By analyzing Josephus’ narrative alongside common Greco-Roman typologies of tyranny—such as usurpation through murder, elimination of political opponents, sexual misconduct, and murder of relatives—the study reveals how several episodes in David’s life conform to these tyrannical patterns. Furthermore, Josephus’ own textual modifications sometimes unintentionally reinforced this negative reading, especially when compared with explicit tyrants like Herod the Great within *Antiquities*. The article highlights the challenges Josephus faced in reconciling David’s morally ambiguous biblical stories with Greco-Roman political expectations, suggesting that his apologetic efforts may not have fully succeeded with all readers.