Synoptic table for the death of Saul.

[Ben C. Smith]

Pursuant to some questions I would like to explore regarding the synoptic problem specifically, and ancient book composition in general, I have thrown together a rough synopsis of 1 Chronicles 10.1-14 = 1 Kingdoms 31.1-13 and Josephus, Antiquities 6.14.7-9 §368-378, all in Greek:

1 Chronicles 10.1-14	1 Kingdoms 31.1-13	Antiquities 6.14.7-9 §368-378
1 καὶ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐπολέμησαν πρὸς Ισραηλ	1 καὶ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐπολέμουν ἐπὶ Ισραηλ	368 Τῶν δὲ Παλαιστίνων συμβαλόντων καὶ καρτερᾶς μάχης γενομένης
καὶ ἔφυγον ἀπὸ προσώπου ἀλλοφύλων	καὶ ἔφυγον οἱ ἄνδρες Ισραηλ ἐκ προσώπου τῶν ἀλλοφύλων	νικῶσιν οἱ Παλαιστῖνοι καὶ πολλοὺς ἀναιροῦσι τῶν ἐναντίων,
καὶ ἔπεσον τραυματίαι ἐν ὄρει Γελβουε,	καὶ πίπτουσιν τραυματίαι ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Γελβουε,	*
-	-	Σαοῦλος δὲ ὁ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ γενναίως ἀγωνιζόμενοι καὶ πάσῃ προθυμίᾳ χρώμενοι, ὡς ἐν μόνῳ τῷ καλῶς ἀποθανεῖν καὶ παραβόλως διακινδυνεῦσαι τοῖς πολεμίοις τῆς ὅλης αὐτοῖς δόξης ἀποκειμένης, οὐδὲν γὰρ τούτου περισσότερον εἶχον, 369 ἐπιστρέφουσι πᾶσαν εἰς αὑτοὺς τὴν τῶν ἐχθρῶν φάλαγγα
2 καὶ κατεδίωξαν ἀλλόφυλοι ὀπίσω Σαουλ καὶ ὀπίσω υἱῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπάταξαν ἀλλόφυλοι τὸν Ιωναθαν καὶ τὸν Αμιναδαβ καὶ τὸν Μελχισουε υἱοὺς Σαουλ	2 καὶ συνάπτουσιν ἀλλόφυλοι τῷ Σαουλ καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τύπτουσιν ἀλλόφυλοι τὸν Ιωναθαν καὶ τὸν Αμιναδαβ καὶ τὸν Μελχισα υἱοὺς Σαουλ	καὶ περικυκλωθέντες ἀποθνήσκουσι πολλοὺς τῶν Παλαιστίνων καταβαλόντες. ἦσαν δὲ οἱ παῖδες Ἰωνάθης καὶ Ἀμινάδαβος καὶ Μέλχισος.
-	-	τούτων πεσόντων τρέπεται τὸ τῶν Ἑβραίων πλῆθος καὶ ἀκοσμία καὶ σύγχυσις γίνεται καὶ φόνος ἐπικειμένων τῶν πολεμίων. 370 Σαοῦλος δὲ φεύγει τὸ καρτερὸν ἔχων περὶ αὑτόν, καὶ τῶν Παλαιστίνων ἐπιπεμψάντων ἀκοντιστὰς
3 καὶ ἐβαρύνθη ὁ πόλεμος ἐπὶ Σαουλ καὶ εὗρον αὐτὸν οἱ τοξόται ἐν τοῖς τόξοις καὶ πόνοις καὶ ἐπόνεσεν ἀπὸ τῶν τόξων	3 καὶ βαρύνεται ὁ πόλεμος ἐπὶ Σαουλ καὶ εὑρίσκουσιν αὐτὸν οἱ ἀκοντισταί ἄνδρες τοξόται καὶ ἐτραυματίσθη εἰς τὰ ὑποχόνδρια	καὶ τοξότας πάντας μὲν ἀποβάλλει πλὴν ὀλίγων, αὐτὸς δὲ λαμπρῶς ἀγωνισάμενος καὶ πολλὰ τραύματα λαβών, ὡς μηκέτι διακαρτερεῖν μηδ' ἀντέχειν ταῖς πληγαῖς, ἀποκτεῖναι μὲν αὑτὸν ἠσθένει,
4 καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ τῷ αἴροντι τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ σπάσαι τὴν ῥομφαίαν σου καὶ ἐκκέντησόν με ἐν αὐτῇ	4 καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ πρὸς τὸν αἴροντα τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ σπάσαι τὴν ῥομφαίαν σου καὶ ἀποκέντησόν με ἐν αὐτῇ	κελεύει δὲ τὸν ὁπλοφόρον σπασάμενον τὴν ῥομφαίαν ταύτην αὐτοῦ διελάσαι,
μὴ ἔλθωσιν οἱ ἀπερίτμητοι οὗτοι καὶ ἐμπαίξωσίν μοι	μὴ ἔλθωσιν οἱ ἀπερίτμητοι οὗτοι καὶ ἀποκεντήσωσίν με καὶ ἐμπαίξωσίν μοι	πρὶν ζῶντα συλλαβεῖν αὐτὸν τοὺς πολεμίους.
καὶ οὐκ ἐβούλετο ὁ αἴρων τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἐφοβεῖτο σφόδρα καὶ ἔλαβεν Σαουλ τὴν ῥομφαίαν καὶ ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτήν.	καὶ οὐκ ἐβούλετο ὁ αἴρων τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἐφοβήθη σφόδρα καὶ ἔλαβεν Σαουλ τὴν ῥομφαίαν καὶ ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτήν	371 μὴ τολμῶντος δὲ τοῦ ὁπλοφόρου κτεῖναι τὸν δεσπότην, αὐτὸς τὴν ἰδίαν σπασάμενος καὶ στήσας ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκμὴν ῥίπτει κατ' αὐτῆς ἑαυτόν·
-	[2 Kingdoms 1.6-10: 6 καὶ εἶπεν τὸ παιδάριον τὸ ἀπαγγέλλον αὐτῷ περιπτώματι περιέπεσον ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Γελβουε καὶ ἰδοὺ Σαουλ ἐπεστήρικτο ἐπὶ τὸ δόρυ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰδοὺ τὰ ἅρματα καὶ οἱ ἱππάρχαι συνῆψαν αὐτῷ 7 καὶ ἐπέβλεψεν ἐπὶ τὰ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶδέν με καὶ ἐκάλεσέν με καὶ εἶπα ἰδοὺ ἐγώ 8 καὶ εἶπέν μοι τίς εἶ σύ καὶ εἶπα Αμαληκίτης ἐγώ εἰμι 9 καὶ εἶπεν πρός με στῆθι δὴ ἐπάνω μου καὶ θανάτωσόν με ὅτι κατέσχεν με σκότος δεινόν ὅτι πᾶσα ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ἐμοί 10 καὶ ἐπέστην ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν καὶ ἐθανάτωσα αὐτόν ὅτι ᾔδειν ὅτι οὐ ζήσεται μετὰ τὸ πεσεῖν αὐτόν καὶ ἔλαβον τὸ βασίλειον τὸ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν χλιδῶνα τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ βραχίονος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνήνοχα αὐτὰ τῷ κυρίῳ μου ὧδε.]	ἀδυνατῶν δὲ μήθ' ἵστασθαι μήτ' ἐπερείσας διαβαλεῖν αὑτοῦ τὸν σίδηρον ἐπιστρέφεται, καὶ νεανίσκου τινὸς ἑστῶτος πυθόμενος τίς εἴη καὶ μαθὼν ὡς Ἀμαληκίτης ἐστὶ παρεκάλεσεν ἐπερείσαντα τὴν ῥομφαίαν διὰ τὸ μὴ ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτὸν δύνασθαι παρασχεῖν αὐτῷ τελευτὴν ὁποίαν αὐτὸς βούλεται. 372 ποιήσας δὲ τοῦτο καὶ περιελόμενος τὸν περὶ τὸν βραχίονα αὐτοῦ χρυσὸν καὶ τὸν βασιλικὸν στέφανον ἐκποδὼν ἐγένετο.
5 καὶ εἶδεν ὁ αἴρων τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἀπέθανεν Σαουλ καὶ ἔπεσεν καί γε αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὴν ῥομφαίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέθανεν	5 καὶ εἶδεν ὁ αἴρων τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ὅτι τέθνηκεν Σαουλ καὶ ἐπέπεσεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὴν ῥομφαίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέθανεν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ	θεασάμενος δ' ὁ ὁπλοφόρος Σαοῦλον ἀνῃρημένον ἀπέκτεινεν ἑαυτόν·
-	-	διεσώθη δ' οὐδεὶς τῶν σωματοφυλάκων τοῦ βασιλέως,
*	*	ἀλλὰ πάντες ἔπεσον περὶ τὸ καλούμενον Γελβουὲ ὄρος.
6 καὶ ἀπέθανεν Σαουλ καὶ τρεῖς υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ καὶ πᾶς ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀπέθανεν	6 καὶ ἀπέθανεν Σαουλ καὶ οἱ τρεῖς υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ αἴρων τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ κατὰ τὸ αὐτό	-
7 καὶ εἶδεν πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ισραηλ ὁ ἐν τῷ αὐλῶνι ὅτι ἔφυγεν Ισραηλ καὶ ὅτι ἀπέθανεν Σαουλ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κατέλιπον τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν καὶ ἔφυγον καὶ ἦλθον ἀλλόφυλοι καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐν αὐταῖς	7 καὶ εἶδον οἱ ἄνδρες Ισραηλ οἱ ἐν τῷ πέραν τῆς κοιλάδος καὶ οἱ ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου ὅτι ἔφυγον οἱ ἄνδρες Ισραηλ καὶ ὅτι τέθνηκεν Σαουλ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ καταλείπουσιν τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν καὶ φεύγουσιν καὶ ἔρχονται οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι καὶ κατοικοῦσιν ἐν αὐταῖς	373 ἀκούσαντες δὲ τῶν Ἑβραίων οἱ τὴν κοιλάδα πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου κατοικοῦντες καὶ οἱ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ τὰς πόλεις ἔχοντες, ὅτι Σαοῦλος πέπτωκε καὶ οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ σὺν αὐτῷ πλῆθος ἀπόλωλε, καταλιπόντες τὰς ἑαυτῶν πόλεις εἰς ὀχυρωτάτας ἔφυγον. οἱ δὲ Παλαιστῖνοι τὰς καταλελειμμένας ἐρήμους εὑρόντες κατῴκησαν.
8 καὶ ἐγένετο τῇ ἐχομένῃ καὶ ἦλθον ἀλλόφυλοι τοῦ σκυλεύειν τοὺς τραυματίας καὶ εὗρον τὸν Σαουλ καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ πεπτωκότας ἐν τῷ ὄρει Γελβουε	8 καὶ ἐγενήθη τῇ ἐπαύριον καὶ ἔρχονται οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐκδιδύσκειν τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ εὑρίσκουσιν τὸν Σαουλ καὶ τοὺς τρεῖς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ πεπτωκότας ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη Γελβουε	374 Τῇ δ' ἐπιούσῃ σκυλεύοντες οἱ Παλαιστῖνοι τοὺς τῶν πολεμίων νεκροὺς ἐπιτυγχάνουσι τοῖς Σαούλου καὶ τῶν παίδων αὐτοῦ σώμασι
9 καὶ ἐξέδυσαν αὐτὸν καὶ ἔλαβον τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέστειλαν εἰς γῆν ἀλλοφύλων κύκλῳ τοῦ εὐαγγελίσασθαι τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν καὶ τῷ λαῷ	9 καὶ ἀποστρέφουσιν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐξέδυσαν τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποστέλλουσιν αὐτὰ εἰς γῆν ἀλλοφύλων κύκλῳ εὐαγγελίζοντες τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν καὶ τῷ λαῷ αὐτῶν	καὶ σκυλεύσαντες ἀποτέμνουσιν αὐτῶν τὰς κεφαλάς, καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν περιήγγειλαν τὴν χώραν πέμψαντες, ὅτι πεπτώκασιν οἱ πολέμιοι·
10 καὶ ἔθηκαν τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἐν οἴκῳ θεοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκαν ἐν οἴκῳ Δαγων	10 καὶ ἀνέθηκαν τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ Ἀσταρτεῖον καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ κατέπηξαν ἐν τῷ τείχει Βαιθσαν	καὶ τὰς μὲν πανοπλίας αὐτῶν ἀνέθηκαν εἰς τὸ Ἀστάρτειον ἱερόν, τὰ δὲ σώματα ἀνεσταύρωσαν πρὸς τὰ τείχη τῆς Βηθσὰν πόλεως, ἣ νῦν Σκυθόπολις καλεῖται.
11 καὶ ἤκουσαν πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες Γαλααδ ἅπαντα ἃ ἐποίησαν ἀλλόφυλοι τῷ Σαουλ καὶ τῷ Ισραηλ	11 καὶ ἀκούουσιν οἱ κατοικοῦντες Ιαβις τῆς Γαλααδίτιδος ἃ ἐποίησαν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι τῷ Σαουλ	375 ἐπεὶ δὲ ἤκουσαν οἱ ἐν Ἰάβει πόλει τῆς Γαλααδίτιδος κατοικοῦντες, ὅτι λελώβηνται τὸν Σαούλου νεκρὸν καὶ τοὺς τῶν παίδων αὐτοῦ,
12 καὶ ἠγέρθησαν ἐκ Γαλααδ πᾶς ἀνὴρ δυνατὸς	12 καὶ ἀνέστησαν πᾶς ἀνὴρ δυνάμεως	δεινὸν ἡγησάμενοι περιϊδεῖν ἀκηδεύτους ἐξελθόντες οἱ ἀνδρειότατοι καὶ τόλμῃ διαφέροντες, ἡ δὲ πόλις αὕτη καὶ σώμασιν ἀλκίμους καὶ ψυχαῖς φέρει,
καὶ ἔλαβον τὸ σῶμα Σαουλ καὶ τὸ σῶμα τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤνεγκαν αὐτὰ εἰς Ιαβις	καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὅλην τὴν νύκτα καὶ ἔλαβον τὸ σῶμα Σαουλ καὶ τὸ σῶμα Ιωναθαν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τείχους Βαιθσαν καὶ φέρουσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς Ιαβις καὶ κατακαίουσιν αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ	καὶ δι' ὅλης τῆς νυκτὸς ὁδεύσαντες ἦλθον εἰς Βηθσάν, 376 καὶ προσελθόντες τῷ τείχει τῶν πολεμίων καὶ καθελόντες τὸ σῶμα Σαούλου καὶ τὰ τῶν παίδων αὐτοῦ κομίζουσιν εἰς Ἰάβησαν
-	-	μηδὲ τῶν πολεμίων αὐτοὺς κωλῦσαι τολμησάντων διὰ τὴν ἀνδρείαν.
καὶ ἔθαψαν τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τὴν δρῦν ἐν Ιαβις καὶ ἐνήστευσαν ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας.	13 καὶ λαμβάνουσιν τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτῶν καὶ θάπτουσιν ὑπὸ τὴν ἄρουραν τὴν Ιαβις καὶ νηστεύουσιν ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας.	377 οἱ δὲ Ἰαβησηνοὶ πανδημεὶ κλαύσαντες θάπτουσι τὰ σώματα ἐν τῷ καλλίστῳ τῆς χώρας τόπῳ Ἀρούρης λεγομένῳ, καὶ πένθος ἐφ' ἡμέρας ἑπτὰ σὺν γυναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἦγον κοπτόμενοι καὶ θρηνοῦντες τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ μήτε τροφῆς μήτε ποτοῦ γευσάμενοι.
13 καὶ ἀπέθανεν Σαουλ ἐν ταῖς ἀνομίαις αὐτοῦ αἷς ἠνόμησεν τῷ κυρίῳ κατὰ τὸν λόγον κυρίου διότι οὐκ ἐφύλαξεν ὅτι ἐπηρώτησεν Σαουλ ἐν τῷ ἐγγαστριμύθῳ τοῦ ζητῆσαι καὶ ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτῷ Σαμουηλ ὁ προφήτης 14 καὶ οὐκ ἐζήτησεν κύριον, καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Δαυιδ υἱῷ Ιεσσαι.	-	378 Τοῦτο Σαοῦλος τὸ τέλος ἔσχε προφητεύσαντος Σαμουήλου διὰ τὸ παρακοῦσαι τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ἐπ' Ἀμαληκίταις ἐντολῶν, καὶ ὅτι τὴν Ἀβιμελέχου τοῦ ἀρχιερέως γενεὰν καὶ Ἀβιμέλεχον αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀρχιερέων πόλιν ἀνεῖλεν. ἐβασίλευσε δὲ Σαμουήλου ζῶντος ἔτη ὀκτὼ πρὸς τοῖς δέκα, τελευτήσαντος δὲ δύο καὶ εἴκοσι. καὶ Σαοῦλος μὲν οὕτω κατέστρεψε τὸν βίον.

Yellow marks a section that has been moved within this pericope. Pink marks a section that has been brought forward from a different pericope later in the history. I may have observations or comments at some later point.

Ben.

[Ben C. Smith]

Antiquities 6.14.7-9 §368-378:

7. Now upon the Philistines joining battle, there followed a sharp engagement, and the Philistines became the conquerors, and slew a great number of their enemies; but Saul the king of Israel, and his sons, fought courageously, and with the utmost alacrity, as knowing that their entire glory lay in nothing else but dying honorably, and exposing themselves to the utmost danger from the enemy (for they had nothing else to hope for); so they brought upon themselves the whole power of the enemy, till they were encompassed round and slain, but not before they had killed many of the Philistines. Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchisua; and when these were slain the multitude of the Hebrews were put to flight, and all was disorder, and confusion, and slaughter, upon the Philistines pressing in upon them. But Saul himself fled, having a strong body of soldiers about him; and upon the Philistines sending after them those that threw javelins and shot arrows, he lost all his company except a few. As for himself, he fought with great bravery; and when he had received so many wounds, that he was not able to bear up nor to oppose any longer, and yet was not able to kill himself, he bade his armor-bearer draw his sword, and run him through, before the enemy should take him alive. But his armor-bearer not daring to kill his master, he drew his own sword, and placing himself over against its point, he threw himself upon it; and when he could neither run it through him, nor, by leaning against it, make the sword pass through him, he turned him round, and asked a certain young man that stood by who he was; and when he understood that he was an Amalekite, he desired him to force the sword through him, because he was not able to do it with his own hands, and thereby to procure him such a death as he desired. This the young man did accordingly; and he took the golden bracelet that was on Saul's arm, and his royal crown that was on his head, and ran away. And when Saul's armor-bearer saw that he was slain, he killed himself; nor did any of the king's guards escape, but they all fell upon the mountain called Gilboa. But when those Hebrews that dwelt in the valley beyond Jordan, and those who had their cities in the plain, heard that Saul and his sons were fallen, and that the multitude about them were destroyed, they left their own cities, and fled to such as were the best fortified and fenced; and the Philistines, finding those cities deserted, came and dwelt in them.
8. On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip their enemies that were slain, they got the bodies of Saul and of his sons, and stripped them, and cut off their heads; and they sent messengers all about their country, to acquaint them that their enemies were fallen; and they dedicated their armor in the temple of Astarte, but hung their bodies on crosses at the walls of the city Bethshun, which is now called Scythepolls. But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard that they had dismembered the dead bodies of Saul and of his sons, they deemed it so horrid a thing to overlook this barbarity, and to suffer them to be without funeral rites, that the most courageous and hardy among them (and indeed that city had in it men that were very stout both in body and mind) journeyed all night, and came to Bethshun, and approached to the enemy's wall, and taking down the bodies of Saul and of his sons, they carried them to Jabesh, while the enemy were not able enough nor bold enough to hinder them, because of their great courage. So the people of Jabesh wept all in general, and buried their bodies in the best place of their country, which was named Areurn; and they observed a public mourning for them seven days, with their wives and children, beating their breasts, and lamenting the king and his sons, without either tasting meat or drink [till the evening.]
9. To this his end did Saul come, according to the prophecy of Samuel, because he disobeyed the commands of God about the Amalekites, and on the account of his destroying the family of Ahimelech the high priest, with Ahimelech himself, and the city of the high priests. Now Saul, when he had reigned eighteen years while Samuel was alive, and after his death two [and twenty], ended his life in this manner.

1 Samuel 31.1-13:

31 Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua the sons of Saul. 3 The battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. 6 Thus Saul died with his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men on that day together.
7 When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, with those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; then the Philistines came and lived in them.
8 It came about on the next day when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head and stripped off his weapons, and sent them throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people. 10 They put his weapons in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. 11 Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men rose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

1 Chronicles 10.1-14:

1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines closely pursued Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle became heavy against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and abuse me.” But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died. 6 Thus Saul died with his three sons, and all those of his house died together.
7 When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.
8 It came about the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 So they stripped him and took his head and his armor and sent messengers around the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the house of their gods and fastened his head in the house of Dagon.
11 When all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh, and they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
13 So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the Lord, because of the word of the Lord which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry of it, 14 and did not inquire of the Lord. Therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.

[Ben C. Smith]

Observations:

1. 1 Chronicles 10.1-14 and 1 Kingdoms 31.1-13 are fairly identical in many if not most verses, but so far as I can tell so far Josephus seems to be following 1 Kingdoms in the main (until the summary of Saul's death at the end of the passage, which I will mention below). For example, 1 Kingdoms 31.7 has οἱ ἐν τῷ πέραν τῆς κοιλάδος καὶ οἱ ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου where 1 Chronicles 10.7 has only ὁ ἐν τῷ αὐλῶνι, but Josephus has οἱ τὴν κοιλάδα πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, much closer to the former than to the latter. 1 Kingdoms 31.10 has ἀνέθηκαν τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ Ἀσταρτεῖον where 1 Chronicles 10.10 has ἔθηκαν τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἐν οἴκῳ θεοῦ αὐτῶν, but Josephus has τὰς μὲν πανοπλίας αὐτῶν ἀνέθηκαν εἰς τὸ Ἀστάρτειον ἱερόν; in that same verse 1 Kingdoms also has ἐν τῷ τείχει Βαιθσαν, which Josephus reflects with πρὸς τὰ τείχη τῆς Βηθσὰν πόλεως; 1 Chronicles simply has ἐν οἴκῳ Δαγων. 1 Kingdoms 31.11 has οἱ κατοικοῦντες Ιαβις τῆς Γαλααδίτιδος where 1 Chronicles 10.11 merely has οἱ κατοικοῦντες Γαλααδ, and Josephus follows the former more closely with οἱ ἐν Ἰάβει πόλει τῆς Γαλααδίτιδος κατοικοῦντες. Also, of course, Josephus has brought forward an entire section from 2 Kingdoms 1.6-10, which is unparalleled in 1 Chronicles.
2. The agreements of Josephus and 1 Chronicles against 1 Kingdoms are for the most part extremely minor and to some extent even predictable. For instance, both Josephus and 1 Chronicles tend to use aorists (ἔφυγον, κατῴκησαν, ἤκουσαν) where 1 Kingdoms has historic presents (φεύγουσιν, κατοικοῦσιν, ἀκούουσιν). However, there is one interesting agreement at 1 Chronicles 10.9, in which the decapitation of Saul is explicit: ἔλαβον τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, as it is in Josephus with respect both to Saul and to his sons: ἀποτέμνουσιν αὐτῶν τὰς κεφαλάς; in 1 Kingdoms 10.9 there is no explicit decapitation: ἀποστρέφουσιν αὐτὸν (though in the Masoretic there is).
3. At the end of the passage both 1 Chronicles 10.13-14 and Josephus add a summary as to why Saul was killed, and his failure to obey God looms large in both. Here it would seem that 1 Kingdoms is no longer in view, and 1 Chronicles is the source.

[Ben C. Smith]

This synopsis reminds me of my thread on the genre of the gospels: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1724.

Imagine a spectrum of texts bounded by two poles or endpoints. At one end of the spectrum, texts whose author names himself or herself, speaks in the first person singular, engages in indirect dialogue to express character speech and even internal thought processes, and reflects upon the subject matter. At the other end, texts whose authors remain anonymous, speak only in the third person, generally engages only in direct dialogue, and abstains from authorial reflections upon the subject matter. My contention on the thread linked to above is that the gospels belong far closer to the latter pole than to the former, and that they find themselves in company there with many if not most of the scriptural and deuteroscriptural Jewish histories (Joshua, Samuel, Chronicles) and other stories (Esther, Daniel, Judith), whereas the other pole attracts most if not all of the Greco-Roman biographies and histories.

In the synopsis above of texts that detail Saul's death, I am struck by how closely Chronicles and Kingdoms seem to mirror each other, both on a conceptual and on a verbal level. They march in tandem, whereas Josephus, while clearly telling the same story, paraphrases throughout compared to Chronicles and Kingdoms; he rewords virtually everything, leaving individual words and brief phrases as the touchstones for the common narrative. (I note also that Josephus, who names himself and speaks in the first person and is reflective and is, in general, producing a Greco-Roman history of the Jewish people, deigns to take the direct dialogue that both Kingdoms and Chronicles place on Saul's lips when he asks his armorbearer to kill him and to reshape it into indirect dialogue.) I wonder, then, whether the willingness to rewrite one's sources may also belong on the spectrum I have described.

Matthew and Mark seem to me often to follow each other more closely than Luke follows either one of them. And Luke is (correspondingly?) already further down the spectrum than Matthew and Mark are insofar as the preface speaks reflectively in the first person. Is Luke's willingness to reword his sources part of the same tendency that leads to including a reflective preface? Does anonymity go hand in hand with a more slavish kind of copying or plagiarism, while a stronger authorial presence implies a stronger hand in the wording? Josephus, far futher down the spectrum than Luke, also rewords more thoroughly than Luke, at least in this present pericope. I do not have enough data assembled to assert this principle forcibly and dare others to disprove it, but the pericope above at least has me thinking about it.

[Ben C. Smith]

Samuel/Kings (Kingdoms)	Chronicles	Josephus
1 Samuel 31 1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines overtook Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me!” But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it.	1 Chronicles 10 1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines followed hard after Saul and after his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 3 The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was distressed by reason of the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me.” But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it.	Antiquities 6.14 7. Now upon the Philistines joining battle, there followed a sharp engagement, and the Philistine, became the conquerors, and slew a great number of their enemies; but Saul the king of Israel, and his sons, fought courageously, and with the utmost alacrity, as knowing that their entire glory lay in nothing else but dying honorably, and exposing themselves to the utmost danger from the enemy (for they had nothing else to hope for); so they brought upon themselves the whole power of the enemy, till they were encompassed round and slain, but not before they had killed many of the Philistines Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchisua; and when these were slain the multitude of the Hebrews were put to flight, and all was disorder, and confusion, and slaughter, upon the Philistines pressing in upon them. But Saul himself fled, having a strong body of soldiers about him; and upon the Philistines sending after them those that threw javelins and shot arrows, he lost all his company except a few. As for himself, he fought with great bravery; and when he had received so many wounds, that he was not able to bear up nor to oppose any longer, and yet was not able to kill himself, he bade his armor-bearer draw his sword, and run him through, before the enemy should take him alive. But his armor-bearer not daring to kill his master, he drew his own sword, and placing himself over against its point, he threw himself upon it;
{2 Samuel 1 6 The young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance on Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning on his spear; and behold, the chariots and the horsemen followed close behind him. 7 When he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 He said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 He said to me, ‘Please stand beside me, and kill me; for anguish has taken hold of me, because my life lingers in me.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them here to my lord.”}	-	and when he could neither run it through him, nor, by leaning against it, make the sword pass through him, he turned him round, and asked a certain young man that stood by who he was; and when he understood that he was an Amalekite, he desired him to force the sword through him, because he was not able to do it with his own hands, and thereby to procure him such a death as he desired. This the young man did accordingly; and he took the golden bracelet that was on Saul's arm, and his royal crown that was on his head, and ran away.
1 Samuel 31 5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him. 6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together. 7 When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them. 8 On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They cut off his head, stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to the house of their idols, and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan. 11 When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose, went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burned them there. 13 They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.	5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died. 6 So Saul died with his three sons; and all his house died together. 7 When all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them. 8 On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped him, and took his head and his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to their idols, and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the house of Dagon. 11 When all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.	And when Saul's armor-bearer saw that he was slain, he killed himself; nor did any of the king's guards escape, but they all fell upon the mountain called Gilboa. But when those Hebrews that dwelt in the valley beyond Jordan, and those who had their cities in the plain, heard that Saul and his sons were fallen, and that the multitude about them were destroyed, they left their own cities, and fled to such as were the best fortified and fenced; and the Philistines, finding those cities deserted, came and dwelt in them. 8. On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip their enemies that were slain, they got the bodies of Saul and of his sons, and stripped them, and cut off their heads; and they sent messengers all about their country, to acquaint them that their enemies were fallen; and they dedicated their armor in the temple of Astarte, but hung their bodies on crosses at the walls of the city Bethshun, which is now called Scythepolls. But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard that they had dismembered the dead bodies of Saul and of his sons, they deemed it so horrid a thing to overlook this barbarity, and to suffer them to be without funeral rites, that the most courageous and hardy among them (and indeed that city had in it men that were very stout both in body and mind) journeyed all night, and came to Bethshun, and approached to the enemy's wall, and taking down the bodies of Saul and of his sons, they carried them to Jabesh, while the enemy were not able enough nor bold enough to hinder them, because of their great courage. So the people of Jabesh wept all in general, and buried their bodies in the best place of their country, which was named Areurn; and they observed a public mourning for them seven days, with their wives and children, beating their breasts, and lamenting the king and his sons, without either tasting meat or drink [till the evening].
-	13 So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of Yahweh’s word, which he didn’t keep; and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire, 14 and didn’t inquire of Yahweh. Therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.	9. To this his end did Saul come, according to the prophecy of Samuel, because he disobeyed the commands of God about the Amalekites, and on the account of his destroying the family of Ahimelech the high priest, with Ahimelech himself, and the city of the high priests. Now Saul, when he had reigned eighteen years while Samuel was alive, and after his death two [and twenty], ended his life in this manner.