Saul (c. 1030?–1009 BCE)

David the King

 A “long war” ensued between the house of Saul and the house of David (2 Samuel 3:1). But in the meantime a disagreement soon split Abner and Ishbosheth (Eshbaal). Both of them were killed, apparently as a result of personal vengeance (2 Samuel 3–4).  The way was open for David to become the king of all Israel:

The Problem of Succession

Internally, the problem of David’s legitimacy as successor to Saul loomed large. It was doubtless exacerbated by the unstable union of the houses of Israel and Judah. This problem is treated at great length in the Bible. Indeed, this is the principal subject from 2 Samuel 6 through 1 Kings 2, often called the “History of the Succession.”

Solomon (c. 970/969–931 BCE)

David was occupied chiefly with fighting wars and with expanding his kingdom by both military and political means. Solomon was concerned mainly with consolidating the lands acquired by David and organizing the administration of the kingdom. But before he could turn to this, Solomon had to strengthen his position as king.

Threats to Solomon’s Rule