The First and Second Books of Kings

The Books of Kings, originally one book, tell the story of the monarchy of Israel - from the accession to the throne of Saul (about 1030 BC) to 586 BC, when the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem. The first and second books of the kingdoms deal with the history of Israel from the period of judges to the old age of King David. The action takes place from approximately 1075 to 975 BC. The books tell of the Israeli occupation of Canaanite cities, including the stronghold of the Jews - Jerusalem (Jebus). Saul became the first king of Israel, reigning around 1030-1010 BC. David was a king from about 1010 to 970 B.C. From the priests' point of view, David was a good king, because he obeyed them all, unlike Saul, who managed to create a single power over the tribes of Israel, relying mainly on his relatives from the Benjamin tribe. Despite his military successes over the Philistines, Saul could not stop their raids on the united Israeli tribes. Under David, Hebron became the capital, at the instigation of the priests.