First king of Israel. The youngest son of Kish the Benjaminite, Saul was a modest shepherd lad when the prophet Samuel anointed him as king. He defeated the Ammonites and fought successfully against the Philistines, Moabites, Arameans, and Amalekites. Saul’s dispute with the prophet Samuel followed his defeat of the Amalekites. The prophet’s public rebuke depressed the king and tragic melancholia