'SAUL'S ENTHRONEMENT: A POPULAR CHOICE, A PROPHETIC COUP, OR A PERSONALITY CULT?' Evaluate the evidence in 1 Samuel 8-12 in the light of current theories of state formation in Ancient Israel.

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HISTORY OF ISRAEL

‘SAUL’S ENTHRONEMENT: A POPULAR CHOICE, A PROPHETIC COUP, OR A PERSONALITY CULT?’

Evaluate the evidence in 1 Samuel 8-12 in the light of current theories of state formation in Ancient Israel.

The content of I Samuel 8-12 outline Saul the first king of Israel’s rise to power, and as B.C. Birch points out 1 Samuel especially chapters 8-12 are crucial in any attempt to understand the development of the Israelite kingship, as this is practically the only written source recording the transformation from tribal league to a monarchy.  However, the accounts within these chapters are inconsistent making any attempt to understand the emergence of the monarchy troublesome, as differing interpretations can be attributed to it.

When evaluated in the light of theories of state formation these accounts on the whole are inconsistent with what is known about the complex processes of state formation through archeology and anthrolology.  Although, in a more implicit manner they  are suggestive of a premonarchic Israel proposed by recent theories of state formation.

According to V. P. Long 1 Samuel 8-12 is a complex literary challenge, as the rise of the monarchy in is accounted for in five differing pericopes (chap.8; 9.1-10.16; 10.17-27; 11; 12), all of which contain contradictory information, both in events and attitudes to the monarchy itself.  Two of the pericopes (chapters 8 & 12) talk about kingship in general with no reference to Saul, whilst the other three (9.1-10.16; 10.17-27; 11) outline his election to the kingship.  Although two or possible three of the pericopes present the monarchy in a favourable light the Deuteronomistic editors change this impression by framing the pericopes with chapters 8 and 12 which through the speech and attitude of the Prophet Samuel reflect their negative opinion of the monarchy. 

Saul’s enthronement according to the biblical texts could be interpreted in many differing ways.  It was a popular choice in that the elders request Samuel for a king in both chapter 8 and 10.17-27, although this request in chapter 8 was not for any specific person.  According to D. V. Edelman the peoples’ request for a king was based on the realisation that Israel needed to move away from the insecure judgeship to a more permanent leadership represented by the dynastic monarchy. 

Certain physical chracteristic were often a requisite for kingship in the surrounding nations of Israel and reference are also made to Saul’s height and physical chractersitics (9.2; 10.23), so perhaps this too may account for his accention to kingship through his kind of popular appeal.

In 9.1-10.16., however, this request does not appear, instead it is implied the initiative for the establishment of the monarchy came from Yahweh, who chooses Saul.  The evidence for Saul’s enthronement being a political coup is perhaps signified here in that a local unknown seer who later turns out to be Samuel rises to fame because he was instrumental in Saul’s rise to kingship.  In the other accounts, however, in the event of Saul’s election Samuel’s position as Judge is undermined, although he retains his position of intermediary to Yahweh.

Saul’s enthronement could also be seen as a personality cult, for in chapter 11 he is portrayed as a charismatic leader, when military prowess earns him the kingship, and here too Saul is proclaimed King by popular consent.   It is this pericope that N. P. Lemche believes to be the most credibility account of Saul’s election, even though it is very similar to other accounts of heroic deeds in the book of Judges, for in I Samuel 10.17-27 Saul is elected king through lot, the use of which according to Lemche seems very unlikely in deciding such an important issue. 

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The question is however, how does the above relate to recent theories of state formation in Israel.

Many of the traditional “histories” of early Israel are in most cases just rehashes of the biblical texts, and due to the lack of clear archaeological evidence for the rise of the monarchy the biblical material takes an important place in attempts to reconstruct its emergence.  

Texts such as I Samuel 8.5; 10.19 in which the elders ask Samuel for a king imply the introduction of kingship was a complete break with what had gone before, and the standard hypothesis regarding ...

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