Story 6: The Early Kingdom (1030 BC)
as told in 1&2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, and Psalms
Tired of the back and forth, Israel cries out to God for a king of their own. Not a good idea, says God, since people tend to worship their kings as gods. But they nag Him, and He grants their wish. The first king is not so bad, but he does disobey God's orders given to him through the judge-turned-prophet Samuel. As a result, his kingdom gives way to a better king, a king destined to become the most famous of all kings, the one who would become the golden standard for all kings that would follow. It was King David who would eventually eliminate the Philistine threat and give the people a central city, a capital they could call their own - the city of Jerusalem, also called Zion, the City of David.