* The beginning of Saul’s reign, up to his meeting with David, will be found in 1 Sam. viii.-xv.  We can distinguish the remains of at least two ancient narratives, which the writer of the Book of Samuel has put together in order to form a complete and continuous account.  As elsewhere in this work, I have confined myself to accepting the results at which criticism has arrived, without entering into detailed discussions which do not come within the domain of history.

** 1 Sam. ix. 2.  In one account he is represented as quite a young man, whose father is still in the prime of life (1 Sam. ix.), but this cannot refer to the time of the Philistine war, where we find him accompanied, at the very outset of his reign, by his son, who is already skilled in the use of weapons.

*** 1 Sam. xi.  According to the text of the Septuagint, the war against the Ammonites broke out a month after Saul had been secretly anointed by Samuel; his popular proclamation did not take place till after the return from the campaign.

We learn from the sacred writings that Samuel’s influence had helped to bring about these events.  It had been shown him by the divine voice that Saul was to be the chosen ruler, and he had anointed him and set him before the people as their appointed lord; the scene of this must have been either Mizpah or Gilgal.*

* One narrative appears to represent him as being only the priest or local prophet of Hamah, and depicts him as favourable to the establishment of the monarchy (1 Sam. ix. 1-27, x. 1-16); the other, however, admits that he was “judge” of all Israel, and implies that he was hostile to the choice of a king (1 Sam. viii. 1-22, x. 17, 27, xii. 1-25)

The accession of a sovereign who possessed the allegiance of all Israel could not fail to arouse the vigilance of their Philistine oppressors; Jonathan, however, anticipated their attack and captured Gibeah.  The five kings at once despatched an army to revenge this loss; the main body occupied Michmash, almost opposite to the stronghold taken from them, while three bands of soldiers were dispersed over the country, ravaging as they went, with orders to attack Saul in the rear.  The latter had only six hundred men, with whom he scarcely dared to face so large a force; besides which, he was separated from the enemy by the Wady Suweinit, here narrowed almost into a gorge between two precipitous rocks, and through which no body of troops could penetrate without running the risk of exposing themselves in single file to the enemy.  Jonathan, however, resolved to attempt a surprise in broad daylight, accompanied only by his armour-bearer.  “There was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rooky crag on the other side:  and the name of the one was Bozez (the Shining), and the name of the other Seneh (the Acacia).  The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba (Gribeah).”  The