Era 6 · The First Kings1 Samuel
Saul and Jonathan Die at Gilboa
"So Saul died, and his three sons… that same day together"
"Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled… and fell down slain in mount Gilboa." The Philistines kill Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua. "The battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers."
"Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it." The armor-bearer does the same. "So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together."
The Philistines cut off Saul's head, put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and fasten his body to the wall of Beth-shan. "When the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard… all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall… and burnt them there. And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days."
Three accounts of Saul's death
| Account | How Saul died |
|---|---|
| 1 Samuel 31:3–5 | Wounded by archers, he falls on his own sword |
| 2 Samuel 1:6–10 | An Amalekite says he found Saul leaning on his spear and killed him at his request |
| 1 Chronicles 10:4–5, 13–14 | Falls on his sword; he died for his unfaithfulness and for consulting a medium |
Most readers take the Amalekite's story as a lie told to win David's favor; others see two traditions. The texts are shown side by side, not merged. See the passage page.
Beth-shean
Beth-shean (Tel Beth-shean) was an Egyptian stronghold until about 1130 BC, with temples and stelae of Seti I and Ramesses II. Two temples of the Iron I level were once identified with "the house of Ashtaroth" (31:10) and "the house of Dagon" (1 Chronicles 10:10); those identifications are now considered uncertain. The wall where Saul's body hung is not identified.
Gilboa
Mount Gilboa rises at the southeast edge of the Jezreel valley. The Philistines' choice of the valley, suited to chariots, far north of their cities, shows their reach in this period.
The Case for the Biblical Account
Scripture's account
The deaths of Saul and Jonathan (1 Samuel 31).
What evidence would we expect?
Philistine presence in the Jezreel valley; Beth-shean in Iron I.
The discoveries
Beth-shean's Iron I levels with temples; Philistine-style material in the north; Gilboa's geography.
Testing the discoveries
The setting fits; Saul's death is known only from the Bible.
The strongest reconstruction
A memory of Saul's defeat in the north.
What remains possible
How to reconcile 1 Samuel 31 and 2 Samuel 1.
What the evidence shows
- Tel Beth-shean is biblical Beth-shan.Source: A. Mazar and others, Beth-shean excavations (Hebrew University)
- The Iron I temples at Beth-shean are those of 31:10 and 1 Chronicles 10:10.
- 1 Samuel 31 and 2 Samuel 1 give different accounts of Saul's death.
Continue the journey
Journey of a Passage1 Samuel 31:3–5; 2 Samuel 1:6–10: How did Saul die?1 Samuel 31 says Saul fell on his own sword.More from this lesson
On the map
Location securely identified Probable identification Proposed or debated location Biblical route (roads schematic) Scholarly proposal
- Saul's last battle. Illustrative. Philistines muster at Aphek and camp at Shunem; Saul goes by night to En-dor; the battle on Gilboa; bodies hung at Beth-shean; the men of Jabesh-gilead retrieve them. En-dor and Jabesh-gilead are proposed sites.
Why this matters to the rest of Scripture
- The Amalekite's report and David's lament.
- The Chronicler's account.
- Saul rescues Jabesh-gilead.
- David reburies Saul's bones.