The Book of Samuel: Its Composition, Structure and Significance as ...

THE BOOK OF SAMUEL
By the same token, it seems that the author is emotionally and
ideologically involved in the ongoing debate regarding the merits
and faults of monarchy as a matter of principle, a debate that continued
to impassion the people even after the establishment of the
monarchy in Israel. His attitude is especially recognizable in the
description of the bitter argument between Samuel and the people
on this topic (1 Samuel 8). This attitude can be recognized
throughout the description of the two first kings, which I discuss
below in Section G. The author’s stand against monarchy seems to
reflect the contemporary relevance of the question of monarchy—
this was not yet a matter of “ancient history,” but a vital, controversial
issue. In the eyes of the author the issue was first and foremost
a theological problem of replacing the Kingdom of God with
a flesh and blood monarch. Furthermore, from a sociological perspective,
there was another issue ensuing—the replacement of the
tribal social structure under the leadership of the Judges with the
monarchy and its bureaucracy. The opposition to the establishment
of the monarchy and the open as well as the subtle and tacit criticism
of the kings’ behavior attest that the author lived in a period
that still made comparison between the past period of the Judges
and the current monarchy.
The book of Samuel presents literacy in the time of the united
monarchy as a rather common trait. Samuel committed his second
speech reviewing “the rules of the kingdom” to writing and placed
the document in the shrine at Mizpah (1 Sam 10:25). This document
was meant to be a binding testament for generations to come,
and indeed, the entire scene is based on the presumption that
people could read and write. The same is implied by the narrator’s
reference that David’s lament over Saul and Jonathan was written
on the Book of Jashar (2 Sam 1:18). 46 In another episode, one is
told that David wrote a letter (sefer) and placed it in the hands of
Uriah (11:14–15). The logic of the scene requires that only David
and Joab would be privy to the nefarious content. One must, then,
assume that both David and Joab were literate. In David’s governments
(8:16–17; 20:24–25), one finds the positions of a recorder
(mazkir) and a scribe (sofer). Later, in Solomon’s government, there
were two scribes in this position (1 Kings 4:3). These texts attest to
the activity of royal correspondence expanding into different areas.
Correspondingly, the book of Kings refers to the book of the
Acts of Solomon as an older source (1 Kings 11:41). It was understood
that the author refers to an earlier official book based on
chronicles, annals and reliable traditions that presents King Solomon,
his glorious acts, and especially his wisdom which became a
magnet drawing many wise men, scholars, authors, and scribes to
share the spiritual and literary activities that took place in Jerusalem
46 See above, footnote 2.
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