SAUL 1. Saul, son of Kish and the first king of Israel, is one of the more enigmatic figures in the Bible. His story, recounted in 1 Sam. 9–31, has caused some interpreters to raise questions about the justice and benevolence of God, and of his prophetic spokesman Samuel. Additionally, many scholars have expressed doubts about the literary and logical coherence of the narratives depicting his career. This in turn has led to a general despair of discovering the historical truth about Saul—if the narratives