Saul
King of Israel from about 1095 ite. Selected for this office by Samuel, he obtained, by his personal courage and milobtained, by his personal courage and military capacity, several successes over the Philistines, Edomites, Moabites, and Amdated the tribes and confirmed his authority. After a long reign the wild nature ity. After a long reign the wild nature of the king at length showed itself in a which is briefly described in the Bible as kind of religious frenzy. This frenzy, an "evil spirit of God," led him to the massacre of the priests of Nob and various similar excesses. Meanwhile the king's prophet Samuel, estranged by the kin misdeeds, had anointed David as his successor, and this took effect when Saul was slain on Mount Gilboa.