st 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 themselv