The ongoing threat of invasion from the Philistines to some extent brought about the conditions for a monarchy within Israel. A line of charismatic Judges protected Israel before the adoption of the kingship. Thus it is evident that the change from a patriarchal, loosely-knit tribal rule to a centralised government with a monarch required much self understanding, a strong stance against anti-monarchical views and tolerance of royal ideology, which had in part to be appropriated from neighbouring monarchies.

Saul bridged that chasm well as he was chosen by Yahweh primarily as a defender of his nation against continual threat from invasion. Nevertheless the introduction of the monarchy did not occur without criticism despite the subtle transition due to Saul's previous charismatic status. Incredible tension formed as underlined in I Samuel 7-15, stemming between early pro-monarchic sources and a later anti-monarchic one. The anti-monarchic sentiments (I Sam 8:7) revealed a...