transformation (Holladay, 371; on the historicity of the books of Samuel generally, see Halpern 2001). If we assume the accuracy of the broad outline of events presented in 1-2 Samuel, it remains only to consider the sociopolitical details of this early period of Israel’s history, including specifically the transition from a segmented tribal society to statehood. Several scholars have applied anthropological or macrosociological theory to the traditional archaeological and textual data in attempts