kinship
brought
to
Deborah's
standard
only
those
who
had
some
tribal
interest
in
the
struggle.
The
Beubenites
did
not
respond
to
the
appeal
(Jg
S"),
while
the
tribe
of
Judah
is
not
mentioned
at
all.
At
the
end
of
the
period,
the
kingship
of
Saul,
who
responded
to
a
call
to
help
Jabesh,
a
Gileadite
city,
against
a
second
invasion
of
Ammonites,
is
the
expression
of
a
developing
national
consciousness.
At
soine
time
during
this
period
a
part
of
the
Danites
moved
to
the
foot
of
Mount
Hermon,«to
the
city
which
waa
henceforth
to
be
called
Dan
(Jg
17.
18).
During
these
years
the
process
of
amalgamation
between
the
Israelites
and
the
tribes
previously
inhabiting
the
land
went
steadily
forward.
Perhaps
it
occurred
in
the
tribe
of
Judah
on
a
larger
scale
than
elsewhere.
At
all
events,
we
can
trace
it
there
more
clearly.
The
stories
of
Judah's
marriages
in
Gn
38
really
represent
the
union
of
Shuaites
and
Tamarites
with
the
tribe.
The
union
of
the
Kenazites
and
Calebites
with
Judah
has
already
been
noted.
The
Kenites
also
united
with
them
(Jg
1"),
as
did
also
the
Jerahmeelites
(cf
.
1
S
3029
with
1
Ch
2«)
.
What
went
on
in
Judah
occurred
to
some
extent
in
all
the
tribes,
though
probably
Judah
excelled
in
this.
Perhaps
it
was
a
larger
admixture
of
foreign
blood
that
gave
Judah
its
sense
of
aloofness
from
the
rest
of
Israel.
Certain
it
is.
however,
that
the
great
increase
in
strength
which
Israel
experienced
between
the
time
of
Deborah
and
the
time
of
David
cannot
be
accounted
for
on
the
basis
of
natural
increase.
There
were
elements
in
the
religion
of
the
Israelites
which,
notwithstanding
the
absorption
of
culture
from
the
Canaanites,
enabled
Israel
to
absorb
in
turn
the
Canaanites
themselves.
The
religious
and
ethical
aspects
of
the
period
will
be
considered
in
connexion
with
the
rehgion.
12.
Reign
of
Saul.
—
There
are
two
accounts
of
how
Saul
became
king.
The
older
of
these
(1
8
9'
10"-
^'b
11'
")
tells
how
Saul
was
led
to
Samuel
in
seeking
some
lost
asses,
how
Samuel
anointed
him
to
be
king,
and
how
about
a
month
after
that
the
men
of
Jabesh-gilead,
whom
the
Ammonites
were
besieging,
sent
out
messengers
earnestly
imploring
aid.
Saul,
by
means
of
a
gory
symboUsm
consonant
with
the
habits
of
his
age,
sum-moned
the
IsraeUtes
to
follow
him
to
war.
They
responded,
and
by
means
of
the
army
thus
raised
he
delivered
the
distressed
city.
As
a
result
of
this
Saul
was
proclaimed
king,
apparently
by
acclamation.
The
later
account
(which
consists
of
the
parts
of
1
S
8-12
not
enumerated
above)
presents
a
picture
which
is
so
un-natural
that
it
catmot
be
historical.
Saul
gained
his
kingdom,
then,
because
of
his
success
as
a
military
leader.
Probably
at
first
his
sovereignty
was
acknowl-edged
only
by
the
Rachel
tribes
and
Gilead.
The
PhiUstines,
upon
hearing
that
Israel
had
a
king,
naturally
endeavoured
to
crush
him.
Soon
after
his
accession,
therefore,
Saul
was
compelled
to
repel
an
invasion,
by
which
the
PhiUstines
had
penetrated
to
Michmash,
within
ten
miles
of
his
capital.
Their
camp
was
separated
from
Saul's
by
the
deep
gorge
of
Mich-mash.
Owing
to
the
daring
and
valour
of
Jonathan,
a
victory
was
gained
for
Israel
which
gave
Saul
for
a
time
freedom
from
these
enemies
(cf.
1
S
13.
14).
Saul
occupied
this
respite
in
an
expedition
against
Israel's
old-time
enemies
the
Amalekites.
Our
account
of
this
(1
S
15)
comes
from
the
later
(E)
source,
and
gives
us,
by
way
of
explaining
Saul's
later
insanity,
the
statement
that
he
did
not
destroy
the
accursed
Amalekites
with
all
their
belongings,
but
presumed
to
take
some
booty
from
them.
Soon,
however,
Saul
was
compelled
once
more
to
take
up
arms
against
the
PhiUstines,
whom
he
fought
with
varying
fortunes
until
they
slew
him
in
battle
on
Mount
Gilboa.
During
the
later
years
of
Saul's
Ufe
fits
of
insanity
came
upon
him
with
increasing
frequency.
These
were
interpreted
by
his
contemporaries
to
mean
that
Jahweh
had
abandoned
him;
thus
his
followers
were
graduaUy
estranged
from
him.
A
large
part
of
the
space
devoted
to
his
reign
by
the
sacred
writers
is
occupied
with
the
relations
between
Saul
and
the
youthful
David.
These
narratives
are
purely
personal.
The
only
light
which
they
throw
upon
the
political
history
of
the
period
is
that
they
make
it
clear
that
Saul's
hold
upon
the
tribe
of
Judah
was
not
a
very
firm
one.
How
long
the
reign
of
Saul
continued
we
have
no
means
of
knowing.
The
Books
of
Samuel
contain
no
statement
concerning
it.
Many
scholars
beUeve
that
the
editor
of
Samuel
purposely
omitted
it
because
he
regarded
David
as
the
legitimate
religious
successor
of
Samuel,
and
viewed
Saul
consequently
as
a
usurper.
Saul
must
have
ruled
for
some
years
—
ten
or
fifteen,
probably
—
and
his
kingdom
included
not
only
the
territory
from
the
Plain
of
Jezreel
to
Jerusalem,
with
a
less
firm
hold
upon
Judah,
but
the
trans-Jordanic
Gileadites.
The
latter
were
so
loyal
to
him
that
his
son,
when
Judah
seceded,
abandoned
his
home
in
Gibeon,
and
made
Mahanaira
his
capital.
What
attitude
the
tribes
to
the
north
of
Jezreel
took
towards
Saul
we
do
not
know.
13.
Reign
of
David.
—
Before
Saul's
death
David
had
attached
the
men
of
Judah
so
firmly
to
himself,
and
had
exhibited
such
quaUties
of
leadership,
that,
when
Saul
feU
at
Gilboa,
David
made
himself
king
of
Judah,
his
capital
being
Hebron.
As
Jonathan,
the
crowh
prince,
had
fallen
in
battle,
Abner,
Saul's
faithful
general,
made
Ish-baal
(called
in
Samuel
Ish-bosheth)
king,
re-moving
his
residence
to
Mahanaim.
For
seven
and
a
half
years
civil
war
dragged
itself
along.
Then
Joab
by
treacherous
murder
removed
Abner
(2
S
3"^),
assassins
disposed
of
the
weak
Ish-baal,
and
Israel
and
Judah
were
soon
united
again
under
one
monarch,
David.
We
are
not
to
understand
from
2
S
5
that
the
elders
of
Israel
aU
came
immediately
in
one
body
to
make
David
king.
Probably
they
came
one
by
one
at
intervals
of
time.
There
were
many
tribal
jealousies
and
ambitions
deterring
some
of
them
from
such
a
course,
but
the
times
demanded
a
united
kingdom,
and
as
there
was
no
one
but
David
who
gave
promise
of
estabUshing
such
a
monarchy,
they
ultimately
yielded
to
the
logic
of
events.
David
soon
devoted
himself
to
the
consoUdation
of
his
territory.
Just
at
the
northern
edge
of
the
tribe
of
Judah,
commanding
the
highway
from
north
to
south,
stood
the
ancient
fortress
of
Jerusalem.
It
had
never
been
in
the
possession
of
the
IsraeUtes.
The
Jebusites,
who
had
held
it
since
Israel's
entrance
into
Canaan,
fondly
beUeved
that
its
position
rendered
it
impregnable.
This
city
David
captured,
and
with
the
insight
of
genius
made
it
his
capital
(2
S
S"-).
This
choice
was
a
wise
one
in
every
way.
Had
he
continued
to
dweU
in
Hebron,
both
Benjamin
—
which
had
in
the
previous
reign
been
the
royal
tribe
—
and
Ephraim
—
which
never
easily
yielded
precedence
to
any
other
clan
—
would
have
regarded
him
as
a
Judsan
rather
than
a
national
leader.
Jerusalem
was
to
the
IsraeUtes
a
new
city.
It
not
only
had
no
associations
with
the
tribal
differences
of
the
past,
but,
lying
as
it
did
on
the
borderland
of
two
tribes,
was
neutral
territory.
Moreover,
the
natural
facilities
of
its
situation
easily
made
it
an
almost
impregnable
fortress.
David
accord-ingly
rebuilt
the
Jebusite
stronghold
and
took
up
his
residence
in
it,
and
from
this
time
onward
it
became
the
city
of
David.
The
PhiUstines,
ever
jealous
of
the
rising
power
of
Israel,
soon
attacked
David
in
his
new
capital,
but
he
gained
such
a
victory
over
them
(2
S
5'™-)
that
in
the
future
he
seems
to
have
been
able
to
seek
them
out
city
by
city
and
subdue
them
at
his
leisure
(2
S
8"-).
Having
crushed
the
PhiUstines,
David
turned
his
attention
to
the
trans-Jordanlc
lands.
He
attacked
Moab,
and
after
his
victory
treated
the
conquered
with
the
greatest
bar-barity
(8').
He
was,
however,
the
child
of
his
age.
AU
wars
were
cruel,
and
the
Assyrians
could
teach
even
David
lessons
in
cruelty.
Edom
was
also
conquered
(8"-
").
Ammon
needlessly
provoked
a
war
with
David,
and
after
a
long
siege
their
capital
Kabbah,
on
the
distant
border
of
the
desert,
succumbed
(10.
11).
The
