Saul (1125 BC-1055 BC) was King of the Israelites from 1095 BC to 1055 BC, preceding Ish-bosheth. He was the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel, overseeing the transition of Israel and Judah from a tribal society into a nation-state after being anointed as king by the prophet Samuel. He committed suicide during his defeat at the Battle of Mount Gilboa in 1055 BC.
Biography[]
A young Saul
Saul was born in Gibeah (in present-day Jerusalem), the son of Kish, and he married Ahinoam and fathered Jonathan, Abinadab, Malchishua, Ishvi, Ish-bosheth, Merab, and Michal with her and Armoni and Mephibosheth with his concubine Rizpah. As a boy, he was sent to look for his father's strayed donkeys and reached the town of Ramah, where he consulted the seer Samuel in hopes of finding the donkeys. Samuel offered hospitality to Saul and anointed him in private, seeing promise in him as an adult. In 1095 BC, the thirty-year-old Saul was acclaimed King of the Israelites by Samuel at Mizpah, but many opposed his accession to the kingship. However, Saul's defeat of the invading Ammonites won him popular support and resulted in his acclamation at Gilgal; his first act was to forbid retribution against those who had opposed his accession.
During his forty-year reign, Saul campaigned against the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Arameans, Philistines, and Amalekites. In 1093 BC, he defeated a massive Philistine force at the Battle of Michmash, and, years later, he followed Samuel's prophecy by massacring the Amalekite men, women, children, and poor-quality livestock, although he went against the prophecy by sparing King Agag and his best livestock. Samuel declared that Saul's defiance removed his mandate as God's king on Earth, and he tore off a piece of Saul's shawl and warned that his kingdom would soon be ripped away from him as well.
Saul and his son Jonathan
In 1063 BC, the young David - whom Samuel had anointed as the new King of Israel - rescued Saul's Israelite army from disaster at the Battle of the Valley of Elah by slaying the Philistine champion Goliath and enabling the Israelites to ruthlessly pursue and slaughter the Philistine host. David became a renowned general, with women singing that Saul had slain thousands, but David had slain tens of thousands. Saul's son Jonathan fell in love with David and recognized him as king, coming to "love him as his own soul" and giving him his military armor in a symbolic abdication as crown prince in David's favor. Saul twice failed to assassinate David by throwing a spear at him as David played the harp, and he later attempted to send David to his death by offering him the hand of his daughter Michal in exchange for a bride price of 100 Philistine foreskins. David returned with the foreskins of 200 slain Philistines, and he married Michal. Both Michal and Jonathan helped David escape further assassination attempts by Saul, who worried that David would usurp the throne from him as per Samuel's prophecy. David was soon forced to flee and gather a band of brigands, while Saul decided to make war on David.
Saul's attempts to kill David were paused due to a Philistine invasion in 1055 BC, culminating with the Battle of Mount Gilboa. The Philistines killed many of Saul's sons, including Jonathan, and a defeated Saul decided to fall on his own sword, having lost his sons, the battle, and - according to one last vision from Samuel - his kingdom.
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