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Chapter 12 · Public research record

12

The Rise of the King

What changed religiously when Israel acquired a king—and what remained stubbornly continuous with the world that came before?

Part III — Gods and Kingdoms

What changed when Israel got a king?

What changed religiously when Israel acquired a king—and what remained stubbornly continuous with the world that came before?

Current assessment

Kingship did not replace Israel’s older religious world overnight. Saul’s story shows royal authority emerging amid prophets, spirits, divination, household religion, and older political loyalties.

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