Saul (king of Israel)

Saul is the first king of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, anointed by Samuel and succeeded by David. He died during a battle with the Philistines on Mount Gilboa.

Anointing of Saul: Samuel’s ritual designation of Saul as Israel’s king in the biblical narrative. This episode marks Saul’s transition from private figure to divinely chosen ruler.
Samuel: A prophet and judge in the Hebrew Bible who anoints Saul and later David as kings. Samuel makes Saul king and announces the loss of his dynasty.
Tribes of Israel: The tribal groups presented in the Hebrew Bible as the constituent peoples of ancient Israel. Saul’s kingship attempts to unite these groups against external threats.
Davidic monarchy: The royal dynasty traced in the Hebrew Bible to David and associated with rule over Judah and Israel. David’s enduring dynasty contrasts with Saul’s failed attempt to establish a lasting royal line.
Saul’s victory at Jabesh-Gilead: Saul’s defeat of the Ammonites who threatened the Israelite town of Jabesh-Gilead. The victory established Saul’s authority among the tribes.
David: The second king of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, who rises from Saul’s court to succeed him. David becomes Saul’s rival and the successor whose growing reputation unsettles him.
Israelite monarchy: The system of hereditary and personal kingship established in ancient Israel and Judah. Saul’s reign begins the monarchy described in the biblical historical books.
Samuel’s rejection of Saul: The biblical account in which Samuel declares that God has rejected Saul as king. This episode explains the narrative’s break between Saul’s reign and David’s rise.
David and Goliath: The biblical account of David killing the Philistine champion Goliath with a sling. David’s victory takes place under Saul’s kingship and begins their troubled relationship.
Jonathan: Saul’s son and a close friend of David in the biblical narrative. Jonathan’s loyalty to David strains his relationship with his father.

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