The Battle of Mount Gilboa was a battle fought between King Saul of the Israelites and the Philistines in 1055 BC.
According to the Bible, Saul, the king of the Israelites, went to war against the Philistines, who were attacking his kingdom. Facing a more numerous and sophisticated enemy, Saul used guerrilla tactics, but was eventually forced to confront a Philistine army. Sure to be defeated on level ground, where the Philistines could use their chariots, the Israelites withdrew to the steep, rocky ridge of Mount Gilboa. Yet the Philsitines were not deterred by the terrain: they stormed the ridge, taking a heavy toll from the Israelites. As his army fell around him, including his three sons, Saul took his own life rather than fall into enemy hands.