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Introduction
1 Samuel 8-12 serves as the macro context for 1 Samuel 11:1-11. It provides the probable historical background of the origin of the monarchy of Saul. There also appears to be a stalemate situation in identifying the historical nature of the occurrence, since it seemingly presents conflicts and inconsistent accounts. The main contentious account is the multiple perspectives on the kingship in Israel. Based on the biblical account, two viewpoints about the kingship emerge: pro- and anti- monarchical attitudes. Within the two perspectives the biblical narrative seemingly described three phases of Saul’s royal ascession. The multiple angles of the reporting on the emergence of the kingship are the critical issue for investigation by the source approach, redaction approach, tradition-historical approach, social approach, and the new literary approach. Basically, all these approaches aim to clarify which historical claims stand behind the text and its macro-context and how they rest together. The focus of this chapter is to detail how scholarly discussions scrutinized and drew conclusions regarding the socialpolitical situations that played an essential role in forming the kingship in Israel.
The ancient Near Eastern context in general will be surveyed to detect the royal ideology of the cross-cultural historical context of the kingship. The royal ideology is one of preeminent examples around the kingship in the ANE. The survey will provide a probable historical context for the monarchy in Israel. Israel is part of the ANE and shares common historical factors with it.
The following brief survey of the royal ideology in the ANE covers Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Canaan. This historical review focuses on biblical material that relates to the origin of the monarchy, and the process of leadership in ancient Israel. Layers of materials in 1 Samuel 8-12, such as sources, redactions, and traditions will be reviewed. The review encompasses two aspects of the kingship of Israel in 1 Samuel 8-12: pro-monarchic and anti-monarchic viewpoints. Regarding leadership in ancient Israel, the focus will be on the social factors and circumstances that were involved in forming the monarchy in Israel.
The discussion of the social scientific approach treats the period of the judges in general, since a major component of the social scientific approach is the belief in the development of periods, in particular from the period of the judges to the period of Saul.
This chapter points out that a comprehensive approach is necessary to understand the formation of the monarchy in Israel. Thus, it will value each approach. A probable social-historical context for 1 Samuel 11:1-11 will be provided. The social-historical context will support the thesis that ecstatic prophetic groups were a major social political factor in furthering the formation of the monarchy of Saul. Reviews will be selective of scholars and their perspective.
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Research problem
1.3 Aims and objectives
1.4 Methodology
1.5 Hypothesis
1.6 Outline of chapters
1.7 Terminology and orthography
CHAPTER 2 HISTORICAL REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Royal ideology
2.2.1 Egypt
2.2.2 Mesopotamia
2.2.3 Canaan
2.2.4 Royal ideology of ancient Israel in the context of the ANE
2.3 Biblical perspectives on the origin of kingship
2.3.1 Source approaches
2.3.2 Redactional approaches
2.3.3 Tradition-critical approaches
2.3.4 New literary approaches
2.3.5 Synthesis
2.4 Aspects of leadership in ancient Israel .
2.4.1 Introduction .
2.4.2 The Judges .
2.4.3 Chieftaincy
2.5 Synthesis
CHAPTER 3 SOCIO-RELIGIOUS CONTEXT
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Dynamics shaping traditions of the emergence of Saul’s kingship
3.3 Process of traditionalization
CHAPTER 4 EXPOSITION OF 1 SAMUEL 11:1-11
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Narrative as macro structure
4.3 Text and translation
4.4 Detailed textual exposition
4.5 Synthesis
CHAPTER 5 SYNTHESIS
