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{{short description|Book of the Bible}}
{{Tanakh OT|Nevi'im|historical}}
The '''Book of Samuel''' forms part of the narrative history of [[Ancient Israel|Israel]] in the [[Nevi'im]] or "prophets" section of the [[Hebrew Bible]]/[[Old Testament]] called the [[Deuteronomistic history]], a series of books ([[Book of Joshua|Joshua]], [[Book of Judges|Judges]], Samuel, and [[Books of Kings|Kings]]) that constitute a theological history of the [[Israelites]] and aim to explain [[Torah|God's law for Israel]] under the guidance of the prophets.{{sfn|Gordon|1986|p=18}} According to Jewish tradition, the book was written by [[Samuel]], with additions by the prophets [[Gad (prophet)|Gad]] and [[Nathan (prophet)|Nathan]].<ref name="JewishEncyclopedia">{{
Samuel begins with the prophet [[Samuel]]'s birth<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Samuel|1:1–20|KJV}}</ref> and [[Yahweh|God]]'s call to him as a boy. The story of the [[Ark of the Covenant]] that follows tells of Israel's oppression by the [[Philistines]], which brought about Samuel's anointing of [[Saul]] as Israel's first king. But [[false protagonist|Saul proved unworthy]] and God's choice turned to [[David]], who defeated Israel's enemies, purchased the threshing floor ({{bibleverse|2 Samuel|24:24|KJV}}), where his son, [[Solomon]] built the Temple and brought the Ark to Jerusalem. God then promised David and his successors an everlasting dynasty.{{sfn|Spieckerman|2001|p=348}}
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=== Authorship and date of composition ===
According to passages 14b and 15a of the [[Bava Basra]] tractate of the [[Talmud]], the book was written by [[Samuel]] up until 1 Samuel 25, which notes the death of Samuel, and the remainder by the prophets [[Gad (prophet)|Gad]] and [[Nathan (prophet)|Nathan]].<ref name="JewishEncyclopedia"/> Critical scholars from the 19th century onward have rejected this idea. [[Martin Noth]] in 1943 theorized that Samuel was composed by a single author as part of a history of Israel: the [[Deuteronomistic history]] (made up of [[Deuteronomy]], [[Book of Joshua|Joshua]], [[Book of Judges|Judges]], Samuel and [[Books of Kings|Kings]]).{{sfn|Klein|2003|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=6OJvO2jMCr8C&pg=PA316 316]}} Although Noth's belief that the entire history was composed by a single individual has been largely abandoned, his theory in its broad outline has been adopted by most scholars.{{sfn|Tsumura|2007|pp=15–19}}
The Deuteronomistic view is that an early version of the history was composed in the time of king [[Hezekiah]] (8th century BC); the bulk of the first edition dates from his grandson [[Josiah]] at the end of the 7th BC, with further sections added during the [[Babylonian exile]] (6th century BC) and the work was substantially complete by about 550 BC. Further editing was apparently done even after then. For example, A. Graeme Auld, Professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Edinburgh, contends that the silver quarter-shekel which Saul's servant offers to Samuel in 1 Samuel 9 "almost certainly fixes the date of this story in the Persian or [[Hellenistic period]]" because a quarter-shekel was known to exist in Hasmonean times.{{sfn|Auld|2003|p=219}}
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*''Republican source'': a source with an anti-monarchial [[bias]]. This source first describes Samuel as decisively ridding the people of the Philistines, and begrudgingly appointing an individual chosen by God to be king, namely Saul. David is described as someone renowned for his skill at playing the harp, and consequently summoned to Saul's court to calm his moods. Saul's son Jonathan becomes friends with David, which [[David and Jonathan|some commentators view as romantic]], and later acts as his protector against Saul's more violent intentions. At a later point, having been deserted by God on the eve of battle, Saul consults a [[Mediumship|medium]] at [[Witch of Endor|Endor]], only to be condemned for doing so by Samuel's ghost, and told he and his sons will be killed. David is heartbroken on discovering the death of Jonathan, tearing his clothes as a gesture of grief.
*''Monarchial source'': a source with a pro-monarchial bias and covering many of the same details as the ''republican source''. This source begins with the divinely appointed birth of Samuel. It then describes Saul as leading a war against the Ammonites, being chosen by the people to be king, and leading them against the Philistines. David is described as a shepherd boy arriving at the battlefield to aid his brothers, and is overheard by Saul, leading to David challenging [[Goliath]] and defeating the Philistines. David's warrior credentials lead to women falling in love with him, including [[Michal]], Saul's daughter, who later acts to protect David against Saul. David eventually gains two new wives as a result of threatening to raid a village, and Michal is redistributed to another husband. At a later point, David finds himself seeking sanctuary amongst the Philistine army and facing the Israelites as an enemy. David is incensed that anyone should have killed Saul, even as an act of mercy, since Saul was anointed by Samuel, and has the individual responsible, an [[Amalekite]], killed.
*''[[Court History of David]]'' or ''Succession narrative'' (2 Samuel 9–20 and 1 Kings 1–2): a "[[Historical fiction#Historical novel|historical novel]]", in [[Alberto Soggin]]'s phrase, telling the story of David's reign from his affair with [[Bathsheba]] to his death. The theme is of retribution: David's sin against [[Uriah the Hittite]] is punished by God through the destruction of his own family,{{sfn|Soggin|1987|pp=216–17}} and its purpose is to serve as an apology for the coronation of Bathsheba's son [[Solomon]] instead of his older brother [[Adonijah]].{{sfn|Klein|2003|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=6OJvO2jMCr8C&pg=PA316 316]}} Some textual critics have posited that given the intimacy and precision of certain narrative details, the Court Historian may have been an eyewitness to some of the events he describes, or at the very least enjoyed access to the archives and battle reports of the royal house of David.<ref name=Kirsch>{{cite book|last=Kirsch|first=Jonathan|title=King David: The Real Life of the Man Who Ruled Israel|year=2009|publisher=Random House LLC|isbn=978-0307567819|pages=307–09}}</ref>
*''Redactions'': additions by the redactor to harmonize the sources together; many of the uncertain passages may be part of this editing.
*''Various'': several short sources, none of which have much connection to each other, and are fairly independent of the rest of the text. Many are poems or pure lists.
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=== Samuel ===
{{main|Samuel}}
Samuel answers the description of the "prophet like Moses" predicted in Deuteronomy 18:15–22: like Moses, he has direct contact with [[Yahweh]], acts as a judge, and is a perfect leader who never makes mistakes.{{sfn|Beytenbrach|2000|pp=53–55}} Samuel's successful defense of the Israelites against their enemies demonstrates that they have no need for a king (who will, moreover, introduce inequality), yet despite this the people demand a king. But the king they are given is Yahweh's gift, and Samuel explains that kingship can be a blessing rather than a curse if they remain faithful to their God. On the other hand, total destruction of both king and people will result if they turn to wickedness.{{sfn|Klein|2003|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=6OJvO2jMCr8C&pg=PA316 316]}}
=== Saul ===
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