Saul means Hebrew, “borrowed or borrowed (from God)”. There is an assumption that this biblical character is a real person. His father was Kies, descended from the tribe of Benjamin. His place of residence was Giva, which he later proclaimed the capital.
As stated in the Old Testament, this was the first king of the united kingdom of Israel and its founder. And also he created a regular army. Saul embodied a ruler who was put by God on the kingdom, and then became objectionable to him. Today we will review the biography of Saul, according to the first Book of Kings.
Three versions of accession
His accession to the throne was due to the fact that the judges - the people who ruled the Israeli tribes before him - were not able to withstand the ever-increasing pressure exerted by neighboring nations. They were called judges because their duties included the performance of judicial functions. The greatest danger came from the Philistines.
The story of Saul’s reign is the result of combining several versions. According to the first of them, a beautiful Israeli youth once engaged in the search for missing donkeys belonging to his father. The Prophet Samuel received the news from God that the guy who would appear tomorrow should be anointed to the kingdom in Israel. When Samuel anointed Saul, he set off home, encountering a "host of prophets." The spirit of God came upon him, and he began to prophesy among them.
According to the second version, Samuel gathered people in Mitzpe (several settlements have the same name) and they cast lots. As a result, Saul was proclaimed king. And then the people exclaimed: “Let the king live!”
There is a third option, according to which Saul was proclaimed king in Gilgale (a place in Palestine). This happened after they defeated the Ammonites who tried to enslave the inhabitants of Yaves-Gilad. The latter were relatives of the tribe of Benjamin. In this version, Saul is introduced as a judge, the head of a tribe who was sent to save Israel from the threat posed by strangers.
Despite the difference in plot, all three stories are united by one thought: Saul is a person chosen by God and anointed by Samuel.
Continuous wars
Throughout his reign, Saul constantly fought with the enemies of Israel, which, in particular, included Moab, Ammon, and Edom. But the most stubborn wars were waged with the Philistines. During these conflicts, regular military units were created, led by experienced military leaders. Among them was the son of Saul, Jonathan.
The king made no attempt to extend his power beyond the territories inhabited by the Israelites. And also he did not carry out reforms aimed at replacing the tribal leadership with a centralized administrative apparatus subordinate to the king.
Conflict with Samuel
The history of the relationship between Saul and Samuel (the biblical prophet, the most famous and last of the Israeli judges) reflects the difficulties that were associated with the formation of monarchical rule. Friction between them began to occur after the king gathered an army in Gilgal in order to engage in battle with the Philistines. He himself sacrificed to God, without waiting for Samuel to come.
According to researchers, the prophet probably saw in this an attempt on the prerogative of priests. He told Saul that he would be punished by the fact that his reign would be short-lived. A complete breakup occurred when Saul did not comply with Samuel's instructions for the complete extermination of the Amalekites.
Attacks of suspicion
After David appeared at the court of King Saul, the first began to notice that the people favored the young man. David's victories over the Philistines aroused envy in the king, which at times turned into blind hatred, obscuring his mind.
The son of Jonathan, whose life he attempted in attacks of intense anger, fell under the hot hand of Saul. He also executed clergy. Suspicion made the ruler everywhere discern a conspiracy and seek to kill David.
Death on the battlefield
Saul continued to fight the Philistines. He defeated them in another battle at Mount Gilboa. Here his sons were killed: Amminadab, Malki Shua and Jonathan. Here King Saul himself perished. Surrounded by enemy archers, wounded by arrows, he threw himself on his own sword.
In the morning, the body of Saul was discovered on the battlefield by the Philistines. His head was chopped off and sent to show the people in the temples of idols. The king’s weapons were donated to the temple of Astarte, and the body was hung on a wall in Beit Shean, in northern Israel. The inhabitants of Yaves-Gilad, who remembered how Saul saved them, removed the body and buried it in their city. Later from there it was transferred to the area of Cela, near Giva, where the tomb of his father was located.
Board Conclusions
Based on the Book of Kings, it can be concluded that the rule of Saul is the period (1029-1005 BC) when the administrative system in Israel has not yet fully developed. Tribal organization continued to exist.
The king's aspirations were mainly aimed at consolidating the monarchy within his own family. Probably most of the nascent administration consisted of members of his family.
For example, his son Jonathan led one of the contingents of the regular army. And the head of the whole army was also his relative - Abner, the son of Nir. Almost all the military leaders were from the tribe of Benjamin. The king allocated vineyards and land plots to them.
Under this ruler, a standing army was formed, consisting of 3 thousand soldiers, but tribal militia continued to exist. Symbols of Saul's power were a spear, crown and bracelet.