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Saul (/ s ɔː l /; Hebrew: שָׁאוּל , Šāʾūl; Greek: Σαούλ, Saoúl; transl. "asked/prayed for") was a monarch of ancient Israel and Judah and, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament, the first king of the United Monarchy, a polity of uncertain historicity.
However, after the death of King Saul, the tribe of Judah seceded from the rule of the House of Saul by proclaiming David as its king (2 Samuel 2:4), and war ensued (2 Samuel 2:12). David's faction eventually prevailed against Ish-bosheth's (2 Samuel 3:1), but the war continued until Abner joined David (2 Samuel 3:6).
At his camp at Gilboa, facing the big army of Philistines at Shunem, Saul was in utter fear because he had no access to divine guidance, as described in verses 3–6: [15] Samuel was already dead and buried; Saul had removed 'mediums and wizards' from the land, as was required by law (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:11).
Throughout the monarchy of Saul, the capital is in Gibeah. After Saul's death, Ish-bosheth rules over the Kingdom of Israel from Mahanaim, and David establishes the capital of the Kingdom of Judah in Hebron. [65] After the civil war with Saul, David forges a powerful and unified Israelite monarchy and rules from c. 1000 to 961 BCE. [66]
The article deals with the biblical and historical kings of the Land of Israel—Abimelech of Sichem, the three kings of the United Kingdom of Israel and those of its successor states, Israel and Judah, followed in the Second Temple period, part of classical antiquity, by the kingdoms ruled by the Hasmonean and Herodian dynasties.
According to the biblical narrative, David of the Tribe of Judah engaged in a protracted conflict with Ish-bosheth of the Tribe of Benjamin after the latter succeeded his father Saul to become the second king of an amalgamated Israel and Judah. Amidst this struggle, God had sent his prophet Samuel to anoint David as the true king of the Israelites.
Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? [23] "Stripped off his clothes": may be symbolic to the loss of his kingdom, just as Saul's tearing of Samuel's clothes signifying the tearing away of Saul's kingdom (1 Samuel 15:27–28) and Jonathan giving his clothes to David signifying the acceding of his throne to the latter (1 Samuel 18:1).
There is reason to believe that several sections of this narrative were later additions. The main purpose of this narrative is a defense of David's legitimacy as a king, through a translatio imperii (Latin for "transfer of rule") from Saul to David. [1] The narrative makes three arguments concerning David's legitimacy as a king.