King Saul

Saul (/sɔːl/; Hebrew: שָׁאוּל – Šāʾūl, Greek: Σαούλ, meaning "asked for, prayed for"), according to the Hebrew Bible, was the first king of the United Kingdom of Israel (Israel and Judah). His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE,^[1] supposedly marked a transition from a tribal society to statehood.^[2]

Saul's life and reign are described in the Hebrew Bible. He was anointed by the prophet Samuel and reigned from Gibeah. He fell on his sword (committing suicide) to avoid capture in the battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa, during which three of his sons were also killed. The succession to his throne was contested by Ish-bosheth, his only surviving son, and his son-in-law David, who eventually prevailed. According to the Hebrew text of the Bible Saul reigned for forty-two years, but scholars generally agree that the text is faulty and that a reign of twenty or twenty-two years is more probable.^[1]

Biblical account

The biblical accounts of Saul's life are found in the Books of Samuel:

House of King Saul

According to the Tanakh, Saul was the son of Kish, of the family of the Matrites, and a member of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the twelve Tribes of Israel. It appears that he came from Gibeah.^[3]

Saul married Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz, with whom he sired four sons (Jonathan, Abinadab, Malchishua and Ish-bosheth) and two daughters (Merab and Michal).^[4]

Saul also had a concubine named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, who bore him two sons, Armoni and Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 21:8).

Saul died at the Battle of Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:3–6; 1 Chronicles 10:3–6), and was buried in Zelah, in the region of Benjamin (2 Samuel 21:14). Three of Saul's sons – Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua – died with him at Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:2; 1 Chronicles 10:2). Ish-bosheth became king of Israel, at the age of forty. At David's request Abner had Michal returned to David. Ish-bosheth reigned for two years, but after the death of Abner, was killed by two of his own captains (2 Samuel 4:5).

The only male descendant of Saul to survive was Mephibosheth, Jonathan's lame son (2 Samuel 4:4), who was five years old at the time of his father's and grandfather's deaths. In time, he came under the protection of David (2 Samuel 9:7–13). Mephibosheth had a young son, Micah (2 Samuel 9:12), who had four sons and descendants named until the ninth generation (1 Chronicles 8:35–38).