event · E0012
Monarchy Begins ראשית המלוכה
The people had demanded a king "like all the nations," and Shmuel — the last of the Shoftim — anointed one. He took the flask of oil, poured it on the head of Shaul ben Kish of Binyamin, and kissed him: "Has not God anointed you ruler over His inheritance?" The age of judges ended and the monarchy began — the institution that would carry through David and Shlomo and frame the rest of Tanakh's history.
I. Who
- Hebrew
- ראשית המלוכה
- Also known as
- Anointing of Shaul
- Era
- bible
II. When
- Traditional
- 2882 AM
- Academic
- c. late 11th century BCE
- Date range
- 879 BCE (traditional reckoning)
- Precision
- approximate
V. How do we know
| Claim | Evidence | Confidence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shmuel took the flask of oil and poured it on Shaul's head, and kissed him, and said: "Has not God anointed you ruler (nagid) over His inheritance?" — the first anointing of a king over Israel.
Confidence is for what the biblical text states. |
biblical | ★★★★★ | |
| Seder Olam's framework for the era — Eli's forty years, Shmuel's years alone and his years with Shaul — places the start of Shaul's kingship at 2882 AM on the traditional count.
Schematic traditional dating; Seder Olam's totals for Shmuel and Shaul are themselves derived rather than stated in the verse.
|
tradition | ★★★☆☆ |