Saul
Saul was the first king of Israel, anointed by the prophet Samuel, who initially followed God but later disobeyed and was rejected as king.
Saul son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, was the first king of Israel, anointed by Samuel around 1020 BCE (1 Samuel 9–10). Initially humble and divinely chosen, his reign began with military successes against the Ammonites and Philistines. However, two acts of disobedience—offering an unauthorized sacrifice (1 Samuel 13) and failing to completely destroy the Amalekites as commanded (1 Samuel 15)—led to Samuel's declaration that God had rejected him as king. He was troubled by an evil spirit and found temporary relief in David's harp-playing, but later attempted multiple times to kill David out of jealousy. Saul died by his own sword after a decisive Philistine defeat at Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31), and David mourned him with the famous lament in 2 Samuel 1.