The two Books of Samuel (Hebrew: Sefer Sh'muel ספר שמואל) are part of a series of historical books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings) that make up a theological history of the Israelites and affirm and explain God's law for Israel under the guidance of the prophets.
The first Book of Samuel begins with a description of the prophet Samuel's birth and of how God called to him as a boy. The story of the Ark that follows tells of Israel's oppression by the Philistines, which brings about Samuel's anointing of Saul as Israel's first king. But Saul proves unworthy and God's choice turns to David, who defeats Israel's enemies and brings the Ark to Jerusalem. God then promises David and his successors an eternal dynasty.
According to Jewish tradition the book was written by Samuel, with additions by the prophets prophets Gad and Nathan. Modern scholarly thinking is that the books originated by combining a number of independent texts of various ages when the larger Deuteronomistic history (the Former Prophets plus Deuteronomy) was being composed in the period c.630-540 BCE.
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“Our books of science, as they improve in accuracy, are in danger of losing the freshness and vigor and readiness to appreciate the real laws of Nature, which is a marked merit in the ofttimes false theories of the ancients.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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“Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, -They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom? So Saul eyed David from that day on.”
—Bible: Hebrew, 1 Samuel 18:8-9.