The other account represents Samuel as the acknowleilged head over Israel, who ruled in Kainah as judge. When the Israelites, dissatisfied with their condition and %>ith the conduct of tlie judge's sons, desired a king, he at first refused their request, as rejecting God's immediate government in the nation, but at J"'s command consented (1 S 8). A popular assi'mbly was held at Miz|iah, where Saul was elocied prince by tlie sacred lot (lO"''-'^). A few opposed tlie election, and Saul withdrew with his supporters to Gibeah. The Nahash in- cident oH'ered the new king the occasion which justi- fied his election, and silenced all opposing voices. After it the people, convened at Gilgal, renewed the consecration, while Samuel solemnly resigned his oflice (11'-*- 12). This account regarded the kingship not only as a novelty, but as a backward step from the older theo'iacy, an accommodation to the weakness of the people.
It was impossible for the Philistines to view with indifference Saul's election (however it had been brouglit about), and not to dread the quickened national life which the victory over Nahash was sure to produce among their subject people. Realizing this, and prejjaring for the inevitable shock, Saul retained about him a small army. He chose 30U0 men, placed ono-tliird of them under his son Jonathan at the home of the clan, but kept the other two-thirds under his own orders near Bethel. Probably he intended to rouse the strong tribe of Ephraim to his support. The impatient courage o! Jonathan precipitated the struggle. He struck down the garrison or representative i^^'fi) which the Philistines had in Benjamin.* The Philistines replied by gathering an army, which thej' marched up the valley of Aijalon in the direction of Mich- mash. They thus drove themselves like a wedge between the Northern and Southern tribes. Lest they should cut him oti' from Benjamin, Saul was forced to fall back, especially since the majority of his troops fled, some into liiding, others across Jordan. The king with the 600 men who still clung to him retired on Gilgal, + in which position he secured a safe base on the transjordanic tribes. He left at the head of the wady and opposite the Philistine position a small outpost under Jonathan, who .shiiuld watch t he movements of the enemy and warn the main body (13'"').
For a, time there was hesitation. Probably the Phil, wished to draw the Isr. armv from its strong position and from its supiiorts. fiut the invaders were too proudly conhuent of their strength. Forming a camp above Michraash, tliey divided almost their wliole force into detachments and sent these northward to forage and to check any rising which Ejihraim mifjht attempt (13"""-''). Jonathan saw his opjiortunity and seized it. With- out delaying to request support from his father, he struck full at the weakened centre, overwhelmed the outpost at Michmash which had been set to watch him, and penetrated to the camp. Thence It would be an easy task to crush the divided
• The exact senae of 311} (1 S 13») cannot be conaldcred pArtain, but in this connexion it is enou^ii to know that it reiircsentcd in eome way the Phil. Buzcrainlv.
t See, however, Wellh. Comp. 247 f.; Budde, Jticht. u. Sam, 191 «., and W. R. Smith, OTJC' 181 n., aoa to whom OUgat Is lo unhistorical interpolation.
detachments in detail. So sudden was the defeat that Saul on hearing the news lia<l no time even to consult the oracle. He followed instantly his son's assault. The Isr. au.\iliaries among the enemy deserted. The scattered Philistines were only preserved from utter ruin by the exhaustion of their victors ; they streamed back by the same pass by which they had entered, and the South country was for a period free (14'"''').
Here it would appear that the independent record of Saul's reign ceased. Here accordingly (14^'"'-) have been inserted a brief list of his household, and a statement that the struggle between the young kingdom and the Philistines continued <iuring his entire lifetime. Most of the remaining in- formation about the reign is derived from accounts which relate it as introductory to the ajipearance of David on the stage of Isr. history ; and it is only just to the first king's memory to remember that the rest of his life is narrated t'rora the point of view of an introduction to the life of his greater rival. But the king showed his prowess, and turned the new vigour of his realm against other foes than the Philistines. Men long remembered his victory over the Amalekites, jjartly because the motive of the war had been such a racial and religious antipathy, as the quickened self -con- sciousness of the young nation was keener to feel (1 S 15). And something of the same feeling must have prompted the king to crush the Gibeonites, that foreign tribe which had been received into the Isr. nation (cf. 2 S 21").
About this period, however, Saul lost the support of Samuel, who had done so much to set him on the throne. The accounts ditler as to the reason which produced the quarrel. One referred it to the victorious campaign against the Amalekites. These borderers had long troubled the South country of Judah, ravaging it with»sudden forays, since t^ie desert offered refuge in defeat or secure retreat with booty. Samuel commanded the king to proclaim a religious war and root them out ; and Saul obeying delivered a blow from which the people never again recovered. He sjiari'd, however, the best of the spoil, and especially Agag, the captured king. For this disregard of the exact tuiiiis of his command Samuel de- nounced the fall of Saul's house in the very hour of his triumph (1 S 15). The other account dated the strife from the time when Saul had retreated on Gilgal, and was anxiously expecting, with a handful of wavering men, the assault of the I'liilis tines. Samuel had bade him wait there during seven days, with the promise to come down then and offer sacrifice on his behalf. As the prophet's arrival was delayed beyond the set jieriod, and the peoiile were threatening to desert him, the king ventured to sacrifice independently. For this he brought upon himself the prophecy of the fall of hb dynasty *(13»-">').