This paper is dedicated to exploring the extent to which the early Safavids of the 15th and early 16th century – Shaikhs Junaid, Haidar, `Ali, and Isma`il – were inspired and influenced by the Arabo- and Perso-Islamic epic tradition of prophetography (qisas al-anbiya). As the Safavid tariqah morphed and changed from the arguably orthodox roots in the 14th century first laid down by Shaikh Safi al-Din and his successors in the Ardabil region, other epic traditions (e.g. Shah nama, Abu Muslim nama) which celebrated both pre-Islamic and Sufi-Shi`ite cosmologies became increasingly popular among the Safavid Turkmen. In particular, this paper is concerned with addressing the prophet-king exemplar David and his reception history in medieval Perso-Islamic thought with a focus on his appeal (or lack of) during this transitional period of the Safavids as they sought to redefine themselves as a Sufi movement which was openly embracing concepts like militarization and politicization. In the historical imagination of the Safavids, where did certain prophetic figures like David and Solomon, who were both understood as isra’iliyya kings and prophets, sit with regard to the ambitions of Haidar et alia to usher in a millenarian era of redemption and retribution while waging war against Christian communities in nearby regions like Georgia and Circassia? Moreover, as the Safavid tariqah sought out converts and supporters among the antinomian populations in Anatolia and northern Syria to further their chiliastic aims, figures like David were positioned in direct competition with a set of epic personalities (e.g. `Ali, Husain, Abu Muslim) who arguably better served the Safavid agenda during this critical juncture. As Shah Isma`il and his successor Shah Tahmasp began to distance themselves from the unruly Qizilbash, were such exemplars re-evaluated as the Safavid historical imagination itself began to shift?