King David's no hero in "Jewish Da Vinci Code"

By Rebecca Harrison

HERZLIYA, Israel (Reuters) - In a provocative new biblical novel that looks set to ruffle religious feathers, King David -- the champion underdog who slew Goliath and ruled over a mighty and prosperous Israel -- is actually the villain.

The heroes turn out to be his jilted wife Michal and a much-maligned ruler from a rival dynasty.

"Kings III" by Israeli author Yochi Brandes offers an alternative take on well-known Old Testament passages around the time of King David's rule and paints a controversial portrait of a character beloved for centuries by Jews and Christians.

Like Dan Brown's bestselling "The Da Vinci Code", the book uses religious intrigue and conspiracy to create a pacy thriller which Brandes, who teaches biblical studies in colleges in Israel, hopes will challenge conventional thinking.

"I wanted the book to be provocative ... I'm writing an alternative to the biblical version of events," Brandes told Reuters in an interview near Tel Aviv. "And like Dan Brown I'm piecing together theological ideas and making them accessible."

Although Kings III is fiction, Brandes says it is based on ancient traditions from Jewish culture and teachings. One of her chief aims is to give a voice to the women who play silent supporting roles to the Bible's male leads.

Michal, the daughter of David's arch-enemy Saul, dominates much of the book. The Bible says David paid "100 Philistine foreskins" for Michal's hand in marriage but Kings III focuses on the part where he breaks her heart and slaughters her family.

Brandes, who rejected an ultra-Orthodox upbringing that required deference to men and banned women from critical theological thought, said she chose Michal because she is one of the few women in the Bible who tries to determine her own fate.