Whilst I claim to be a wargamer, if I am entirely honest I am really, and nearly always have been, a modeller rather than a gamer. I have long had an interest in history, particularly of the ancient variety. My interest in Biblical wargaming began when I defected from fantasy gaming to the historical version, and wanted lots of chariots!
My interest lies very specifically in the area and period of the monarchies of Israel and Judah, the 500 or so years from about 1050 BCE. I started collecting 15mm scale miniatures, didn’t like their tree trunk spears and bows, so replaced them with beheaded pins and brass wire.
In time I built their camps and homes, bought their families, pets and priests and populated their world with wildlife.
The models you see on this site have been bought, collected, built, converted and painted over some thirty years, with a few gaps here and there.
The army is intended to represent the Iron Age II armies of the monarchies of Israel and Judah. It started life as an army of either David or Solomon, but now is primarily representative of the sometimes-allied armies of Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah, although it can easily be pressed into service for the United Kingdom (of Israel, not Great Britain and Northern Ireland!). It could also represent an army of one of the later kings, especially with the use of heavy (four horse) chariots.
My primary source of information has been the Bible (I favour the New International Version), but I have also used the histories of Josephus, contemporary records from other nations and more recent histories, archaeology and commentaries. I have chosen to take the Bible at face value, as I have been creating a Biblical army, so some may choose to see the army as a fantasy rather than historical army; that is the prerogative of those individuals. Whilst I have attempted to be true to scripture, I have taken care to not ride roughshod over history and archaeology. (Unless I prefer the Hollywood version!)
One of the problems with studying the history of the Bible (that is, of the events described in the Bible rather than of the book itself) is that the authors of commentary as well as historians and archaeologists of the period often have an axe to grind. In common with these people from all sides, where there has been a conflict between one source and another, I have used the one which best suits my purposes or prejudices. Some things are known to be authentic, some are probably anachronistic whilst some are definitely anachronistic. Some of these anachronisms are intentional, and they mostly owe their influences to Hollywood, 'though I have avoided the all-too-frequently-seen Magen David standards and shields.
