Saul

Also known as Shaul

thumb|The Kingdom of Saul, according to the biblical account thumb|300px|David and Saul, by Julius Kronberg, 1885 thumb|upright=1.13|David Plays the Harp for Saul, by Rembrandt|Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1650 thumb|upright=1.3|Saul threatening David, by José Leonardo, c. 1640s Saul (; , ; ; , ) 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. His reign, traditionally placed in the late eleventh century BC, marked the transition of the Israelites from a scattered tribal society r

AI overview

Saul was the first king of ancient Israel and Judah according to biblical accounts, ruling in the late eleventh century BC and marking the transition from scattered tribes to a unified kingdom. His historical accuracy remains uncertain among scholars, though he is a significant figure in Hebrew Bible and Old Testament narratives.

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Key facts

Royalty.name: Saul
Royalty.image: File:Saul 1878.jpg
Royalty.caption: Saul depicted in a detail from an 1878 oil painting by Ernst Josephson
Royalty.succession: King of Israel
Royalty.reign: c. 1032 BC – c. 1010 BC
Royalty.full name: ()
Royalty.house: House of Saul
Royalty.father: Kish
Royalty.successor: Ish-bosheth

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image: Saul Rejected as King (Bible Card).jpg

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date of death: 1010-00-00
date of birth: 1080-00-00
name in native language: שָׁאוּל
Commons category: Saul (Biblical figure)

Sources (5)

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~29 min read

Article

18 sections

Contents

Biblical account
House of King Saul
Anointed as king
Military victories
Rejection
Saul and David
Battle of Gilboa and the death of King Saul
Biblical criticism
Classical rabbinical views
In Islam
Name
Saul as the King of Israel
Historicity
Psychological analyses
See also
References
Bibliography
External links

The historicity of Saul and the United Kingdom of Israel is not universally accepted, as what is known of both comes largely from the Hebrew Bible, a controversial source. According to the text, he was anointed as king of the Israelites by Samuel, and reigned from Gibeah. Saul is said to have committed suicide when he fell on his sword during a battle with the Philistines at Mount Gilboa, in which three of his sons were also killed. Saul's son Ish-bosheth succeeded him to the throne, reigning for only two years before being killed by his own military leaders. Saul's son-in-law David then became king.