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LAYUE/SHUTTERSTOCK

PLAYING HIS HARP—that’s how King David, the alleged author of many of the Biblical psalms, has been known for millennia. But was there ever a historical figure of that name ruling a united kingdom of ancient Judah and Israel as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible? Many scholars say “yes…but,” while some others (generally labeled as “minimalists”) would dismiss the idea categorically. This larger-than-life-sized statue stands outside the Cenacle—which tradition identifies as King David’s final resting place—in Jerusalem.