Then they hurried to Hebron to tell David what they had done. A civil war raged for seven years between Israel and Judah.įinally, two of Ish-Bosheth’s military leaders betrayed and assassinated him. Ish-Bosheth, one of Saul’s remaining sons, was proclaimed king over Israel, the northern part of the country. It was at Hebron that the leaders of Judah anointed David and proclaimed him their king.Īt first David’s reign was limited to Judah, the southern part of Israel. They returned to Judah, the southern part of the country, and settled in the town of Hebron, which is fifteen to twenty miles south of Jerusalem. On the slopes of Mount Gilboa King Saul and three of his sons, including Jonathan, were killed.Īlthough David was deeply grieved by the death of Saul and Jonathan, their deaths made it possible for David and his followers to return to Israel. As the Israelites were being overcome, they fled up the slopes of Gilboa seeking refuge. The Mount of Gilboa stands on the south side of this plain. The Israelites and the Philistines were fighting on the plain of Jezreel. The Lord had rejected Saul as king many years before ( 1 Samuel 13:14 15:23).
