Reconstructing the emergence of the Israelite monarchy involves interpreting historical research, approaching questions of ancient state formation, synthesizing archaeological research from sites in the southern Levant, and reexamining the biblical traditions of the early monarchy embedded in the books of Samuel and Kings. This collection of essays brings together textual exegesis with archaeological perspectives on Saul and Benjamin in order to reconstruct the rise of the early monarchy in Israel and the way it was commemorated in the biblical narrative.
