Is revitalising a biblical epic for the big screen a risky business? Is it too easy for larger-than-life Old Testament characters to beget unrealistic portrayals and engage in preachy dialogue? Well, this is what has happened with House of David.

The new Amazon Prime Video series tells the titular king’s origin story, from lowly shepherd to anointed leader, unfolding against the backdrop of tribal tensions and external threats to the Kingdom of Israel.

The presiding King Saul, played by Ali Suliman, descends into madness after the prophet Samuel (Stephen Lang) declares that he has fallen out of God’s favour and a new king must be anointed. As Saul drags his family and court into chaos, sewing divisions among the tribes of Israel, the threat of the warring Philistines looms ever larger, increasing the Hebrews’ demand of a leader who can unite them.

The eight-episode series begins, in a sense, where it ends: with a showdown between David, played by newcomer Michael Iskander, and the lumbering giant Goliath. But the story rewinds before we see that fabled battle’s conclusion, taking us back a year to when David was no more than an illegitimate shepherd, relegated to working the fields outside his father Jesse’s home and staying well away from the eyes of the village.