Social, political and theological upheaval surrounded Israel’s transformation from a loose confederation of tribes to a united nation led by David. At the center of the storm stood Saul, selected by the Israelites against Yahweh’s will to be their first king. In “Saul as Sacrifice—The tragedy of Israel’s first monarch,” L. Daniel Hawk describes Saul’s life as the embodiment of Israel’s metamorphosis. Like a sacrificial offering to Yahweh, writes Hawk, Saul’s death appeased the Israelite deity and allowed his people to proceed toward the golden age of the monarchy under David. Associate professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at […]