David #1 - Seymour Church of Christ
... • In the period prior to Israel’s great kings, the country was on a downward slide away from God . • A young boy whom Eli had taught became judge – his name was Samuel • It was at this low time that Israel began to beg for a king that they might be like the nations around about them. • A key to unde ...
... • In the period prior to Israel’s great kings, the country was on a downward slide away from God . • A young boy whom Eli had taught became judge – his name was Samuel • It was at this low time that Israel began to beg for a king that they might be like the nations around about them. • A key to unde ...
Saul
According to the Hebrew Bible, Saul (/sɔːl/; Hebrew: שָׁאוּל, Šāʼûl ; ""asked for, prayed for""; Latin: Saul; Arabic: طالوت, Ṭālūt or Arabic: شاؤل, Shā'ūl) was the first king of a united Kingdom of Israel and Judah. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, would have marked a switch from a tribal society to statehood.The oldest accounts of Saul's life and reign are found in the Hebrew Bible. He was anointed by the prophet Samuel and reigned from Gibeah. He fell on his sword (committing suicide) to avoid capture in the battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa, during which three of his sons were also killed. The succession to his throne was contested by Ish-bosheth, his only surviving son, and his son-in-law David, who eventually prevailed. A similar yet different account of Saul's life is given in the Qur'an. Neither the length of Saul's reign, nor the extent of his territory are given in the Biblical account; the former is traditionally fixed at twenty or twenty-two years, but there is no reliable evidence for these numbers.