If you’ve ever watched Game of Thrones and thought, “Oh, man, this feels a little biblical,” you’re not alone. Prophecies, epic battles, mystical creatures, resurrection, and the eternal struggle between good and evil are all things you’ll find between the pages of the Christian Bible (and George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire) – see the comparisons here. Now, House of David, Prime Video’s latest attempt at a biblical epic, is here to capitalize on those same themes. But is it actually the next Game of Thrones, or just another historical drama packed with drama, betrayal, and moral dilemmas with grand ambitions?
Created by Jon Erwin, House of David is an eight-episode series chronicling the rise of David, the ancestor of Jesus Christ, from his humble shepherd beginning to warrior king of Israel and Judah after defeating the Philistine giant Goliath. The first three episodes premiered on February 27, and while it’s still early days, the show has already sparked discussions about its biblical accuracy—and its undeniable Game of Thrones-style spectacle.
Unlike some recent biblical reimaginings (like Netflix’s Mary, which completely reimagines Christ’s birth to include epic action sequences), House of David mostly stays surprisingly close to the source material. The show’s biggest deviations involve characters with minimal biblical presence, fleshing out their backstories to add drama. Think The Chosen, but with more action and less soft lighting.
One of the biggest departures involves David’s fight against Goliath. In the Bible, the hero defeats the giant with faith in God and a few stones. In House of David, Goliath manages to strike the shepherd at least once before he takes down the Philistine warrior.
Then, there’s also the introduction of a priestess of Ba’al practicing dark magic to lift Saul’s curse. In the Bible, Saul does turn to a medium—the infamous Witch of Endor—but House of David leans hard into the mystical, making it feel more Game of Thrones than 1 Samuel.
Considering that a large part of the Old Testament is dedicated to David, he has been strangely absent from modern adaptations. Prince of Egypt gave us a musical Moses story, and Noah got the full Darren Aronofsky fever-dream treatment. But aside from VeggieTales, David hasn’t had a major live-action retelling since 1985.
Amazon is clearly aiming high, with battle scenes that wouldn’t look out of place in a Zack Snyder movie—slow-motion action shots, sweeping cinematography, and gruesome kills included. It’s not exactly 300, but it’s not a Sunday school lesson, either.
So far, House of David has played it safe, focusing on David’s early days and his showdown with a lion. But the real test will come if the series continues and tackles his later years—his highly controversial relationship with Bathsheba, his bond with Saul’s son Jonathan, and his fall and rise from grace that make him one of the Bible’s most complex figures.
For now, though, House of David is a solid blend of faith-based storytelling and action-packed spectacle – perhaps even worthy of praise from Micah Turnbo, the man who insists he watched Avengers: Infinity War with Jesus. Just don’t bring that up in your next Bible study.
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