There are three priorities of a successful ruler: legitimacy, longevity, and legacy. Kings constantly faced threats from rivals who wanted to seize power. You see this today in politics or in corporations. A lot of people want to be the one in charge; they want to be the one on top. Things were very similar in the world of the ancient Near East, in the nations surrounding Egypt definitely, maybe a little bit less severely in the monarchy in Samuel and Kings. Basically, boys will be boys. They want