The mere recapitulation of the contents of this narrative makes us
feel at once what a pious make-up it is and how full of inherent
impossibilities: to think of all that is compressed into the
space of this one day! But we have also to remark the utter
contradiction of the whole of the rest of the tradition. In the
history which follows we find the domination of the Philistines
by no means at an end; not only do they invade the Israelite
territory several times in Samuel's lifetime, they are in
possession of the land of lsrael, and one of their governors lives
at Gibeah in the midst of Benjamin. The struggle with them is the
true and real origin and task of the monarchy. The writer had no
idea that Samuel had discharged this labour and won this victory
already, and had even "restored " Ekron and Gath. On the contrary,
the yoke of the Philistines lay most heavily on Israel just in
his days. There cannot be a word of truth in the whole narrative.
Its motives, however, are easily seen. Samuel is a saint of the
first degree (Jeremiah xv. 1), and in the theocracy, i.e., in the
religious community such as ancient Israel is represented to have
been, cut to the pattern of Judaism, such a man must take his
place at the head of the whole.
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