{"id":3420,"date":"2016-06-05T07:57:08","date_gmt":"2016-06-05T07:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com\/israelnews\/?p=3420"},"modified":"2016-06-05T10:41:21","modified_gmt":"2016-06-05T10:41:21","slug":"davids-sheepdog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com\/israelnews\/davids-sheepdog\/","title":{"rendered":"David’s Sheepdog"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Tom Brennan,<\/p>\n

\"Young

Young David as Shepherd boy<\/p><\/div>\n

David the Once and Future King of Israel was a shepherd<\/a> when Saul and his army faced the Philistine King. Jesse needed to have someone stay behind when the sons went to fight with Saul. In these days the King of Israel called up men to form the army to fight Israel\u2019s wars. David was the youngest and was selected to watch Jesse\u2019s flocks. Being a shepherd was no easy job. Predators, four and two-legged were a reality and a shepherd had to be ready to protect the sheep. The preferred weapon was a sling. This was not the slingshot of your childhood but a lethal weapon that sent a projectile at high speed at an enemy. Israel had at this time large carnivores, lions and bears and these were capable of killing large numbers of sheep or goats. The shepherd was to protect the flock from a perimeter; the predator could not cross into it. Constant practice and accuracy were demanded to do the job. David was really good at it.<\/p>\n

Those who work with sheep know they are the most herd-bound animals you can imagine. They will panic at a change in the wind and break into smaller groups that stampede in every direction. Keeping them safe and together is a full time task. I am not sure but I think David had a sheepdog.<\/p>\n

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