ed
the king's suspicion against himself. Saul imagined that a conspiracy
existed for the purpose of dethroning him, and of replacing him by his
son; Jonathan, knowing that his life also was threatened, at length
renounced the attempt, and David and his followers withdrew from court.

* The account of the first disagreement between Saul and
David, and with regard to the marriage of David with Michal,
is given in 1 Sam. xviii. 6-16, 20-29, and presents every
appearance of authenticity. Verses 17-19, mentioning a
project of union between David and Saul's eldest daughter,
Merab, has at some time been interpolated; it is not given
in the LXX., either because it was not in the Hebrew version
they had before them, or because they suppressed it owing to
the motive appearing to them insufficient.

** 1 Sam. xix. 11-17. Many critics regard this passage as an
interpolation.

[Illustration: 324.jpg AID-EL-RA, THE SITE OF THE ANCIENT ADULLAM]

Drawn by Boudier, from photograph No. 430 of the _Palestine
Exploration Fund._

He was hospitably received by a descendant of Eli,* Ahimelech the
priest, at Nob, and wandered about in the neighbourhood of Adullam,
hiding himself in the wooded valleys of Khereth, in the heart of Judah.
He retained the sympathies of many of the Benjamites, more than one
of whom doubted whether it would not be to their advantage to transfer
their allegiance from their aged king to this more youthful hero.

* 1 Sam. xxi. 8, 9 adds that he took as a weapon the sword
of Goliath which was laid up in the sanctuary at Nob.

Saul got news of their defection, and one day when he was sitting, spear
in hand, under the tamarisk at Gibeah, he indignantly upbraided his
servants, and pointed out to them the folly of their plans. "Hear, now,
ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and
vineyards? will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of
hundreds?" Ahimelech was selected as the victim of the king's anger:
denounced by Doeg, Saul's steward, he was put to death, and all his
family, with the exception of Abiathar, one of his sons, perished with
him.* As soon as it became known that David held the hill-country,
a crowd of adventurous spirits flocked to place themselves under his
leadership, anticipating, no doubt, that spoil would not be lacking with
so brave a chief, and he soon found himself at the head of