The Kings and Kingdoms of Israel, Part I: 1-2 Samuel
Together, 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings tell the story of the Kingdom of Israel. The first two books, 1-2 Samuel, portray the major biblical figures of Samuel, Saul, and David. To learn more, watch the presentation below.
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Lesson Time: 20:13 
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The Lord's Anointed
In the story of Israel's first kings, the Bible reports that Samuel "anoints" both Saul and David. Subsequent kings will also be described as the Lord's anointed. What does this act mean?
In the Old Testament the verb "anoint" literally means "to smear" or pour oil on someone or something. To pour oil on someone's head was an act of solemn consecration. Thus to be the Lord's "anointed" was to be divinely set apart and designated for a particular role or task. In most (but not all) cases in the Old Testament, the Lord's anointed refers to Israel's kings.
The Hebrew word for one who is anointed is meshiach, from which the English term "Messiah" is derived. The equivalent for meshiach and Messiah in the New Testament is the Greek word christos, or Christ. Thus the title "Jesus Christ" draws on this Old Testament concept and identifies Jesus as the Lord's anointed, as the Messiah.
Israel in History: The Tel Dan Stele
While our focus is on telling the biblical story, it is worth noting that in a few instances this story has left its mark outside the biblical text. One frequently cited example is the Tel-Dan stele.
- The term tel simply identifies a "mound," essentially a heap of archaeological remains.
- The word Dan refers to the ancient city of Dan in Israel. The expression "from Dan to Beersheba" is a biblical expression frequently used to refer to Israel as a whole- something like "from New York to San Francisco." For an example, see 1 Samuel 3.20.
- The term stele is another archaeological term referring to a stone monument with writing inscribed on the surface.
Therefore, the Tel-Dan stele refers to an inscribed stone monument found among the remains of the ancient city of Dan. The artifact was discovered in 1993 and 1994, and the inscription dates to around the mid 9th century, BCE. The Tel-Dan stele is noteworthy because the appears to contain the earliest reference to Israel and King David. Look at the image of the stele below. To see the references to Israel and David, scroll your mouse over the boxed portions of the drawing on the right.
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