with the lyre. It was this skill which brought him into the court of Saul, according to a well-known story (1 Samuel 16:14–23). Moreover, David gave great impetus to Israel’s worship by bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6) and by laying plans for the building of the temple (2 Samuel 7). Further, there must be some truth in the view expressed in the relatively late Chronicler’s history that David sponsored the composition of psalms and was active in organizing the music and liturgy