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Rabbi Israel Drazin has written a series of books, "Unusual Bible Interpretations" which examine specific books of the Bible, such as Hosea, Amos, Ruth, and Jonah, among others. His book, "Who Was the Biblical Prophet Samuel?" is different in format. Instead of examining the two Biblical Books of Samuel in their entirety, Drazin focuses on portions of the books involving the title character: the prophet Samuel himself. In terms of the number of verses, Drazin studies somewhat more that 200 of the 1500 verses in the Biblical books. The three primary characters in the Books of Samuel are the prophet himself, King Saul and King David, with King David getting the most attention in terms of space. Yet, Samuel is a pivotal figure in the book: he was the last of the Judges and he oversaw the transition to the monarchy and anointed both of the first two kings.
With the limitation of Drazin's focus, much is left out but much is also gained. Drazin looks closely and critically at the texts involving the prophet. He examines to the extent possible the literal meaning of the Scriptural texts together with the commentary by traditional Jewish sources as well as by later Jewish and Christian scholars. The result is a provocative study which highlights the ambiguities, moral and textual, in the Biblical account and which challenges readers to rethink what they may have learned about Samuel, King Saul, and the latter Davidic dynasty.
The book is divided into three parts corresponding to the three treatments of Samuel in the Bible. The first part is about the young Samuel through his birth and early prophecies in wars with the Philistines. The Bible does not dwell upon Samuel's midlife work as a Judge of Israel, and so part two of Drazin's book is about the elderly Samuel. Samuel reluctantly yields to the wishes of the people for a king. He anoints Saul as the king and then when Samuel thinks that Saul is not working out he appoints David. Drazin's third part recounts the bizarre apparent appearance of Samuel to Saul after Samuel's death through a medium, the Witch of Endor. In each of the three parts, Drazin translates the Biblical texts. He then offers commentary, discussion, and question on the many issues raised by the texts.
Broadly speaking, Drazin's study has two goals. First, it presents Samuel and Saul in a light that will be new to many readers. While not denying Samuel's strong qualities, Drazin suggests that he was egotistical and self-centered in opposing the Israelites' expressed desire for a king and in his attempts to manipulate and control King Saul. King Saul, for his part, deserves better than his reputation. Drazin raises plausible objections to the traditional views about Saul's unfitness to rule and about his claimed disobedience to God's/Samuel's commands. The second goal of the study, shared with the goals of Drazin's other books about the Hebrew prophets and with much critical scholarship, is to show the reader that Samuel knew little or nothing about the Five Books of Moses. This is because these books had not yet been written during the time of Samuel. This point is made repeatedly and the book and is highlighted near the end of the study's first part as Drazin presents an excursus into 2 Kings 22 which tells of the finding of what appears to be the Book of Deuteronomy during the reign of King Josiah. Drazin shows evidence for this position, (that there was little knowledge of the Five Books of Moses during Samuel's day but only collections of some stories that eventually made their way into the text) throughout his study.
I have become friends with Drazin over the years. He has sent me several of his books to review, including this book about the Prophet Samuel. I have learned a great deal from him both in his philosophical, rationalistic approach to Judaism and to the Bible and in his study of specific texts. I found this study of Samuel challenging and thoughtful. It is carefully written and documented and poses many ethical questions about the people and actions described in the Scripture. As Drazin points out, it is a quality of great literature or writing, including Scriptural writings, that it provokes reflection and a multitude of interpretations. As the poet William Blake said inimitably in a passage Drazin offers at the beginning of his study: "Both read the Bible day and night. But thou read'st black while I read white." Drazin's book is an excellent companion for readers exploring Samuel on their own or as part of a study group.
