King David
David was a shepherd who became the founder of a royal dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Judah (Judea) for 400 years.
Together with his son Solomon, David is the most famous of the kings of Israel. According to tradition, when King Saul was tormented by an evil spirit, David came to his aid by playing a harp, whereupon the evil spirit left the king’s body.
When King Saul died, David was anointed king, and he became extremely powerful in Israel. He was dubbed the “Lion of Judah”, and a lion is depicted on the plinth beneath the statue of King David on the West Front. David sits on his lion-embellished throne, with a crown on his head and the magic harp on his lap.
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The sculpture
The sculpture of King David was modelled by Kristofer Leirdal and carved by Gunnar Sundet in 1973–1976.
