The first king of Israel (c. 1020–1004 BCE); son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. Anointed by the prophet Samuel, following the popular demand for a king capable of freeing the people from the pressure of the surrounding nations, particularly of the Philistines. First anointed privately by Samuel, then crowned at Mizpah over the tribe of Benjamin and adjacent areas in the Ephraim hill country; later, after victory in Jabesh-gilead, crowned at Gilgal over the whole nation. He eventually routed the Philistines, then the Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites in the east, the Arameans to the north and Amalekites to the south. Saul established an Israelite regular army, raising national morale and laying the groundwork for consolidation of the tribes into one nation by his successor, David. When he disobeyed the command to exterminate the Amalekites, Samuel told him the kingship would not go to his descendants. As David's popularity grew among the people, Saul's character seemed to change as he became driven with intense jealousy, suffering periods of depression and melancholy. In a battle against the Philistines, Saul committed suicide, and three of his sons were killed. Saul's story is told in I Samuel 9–31.
