<P> Saul (/ sɔːl /; Hebrew: שָׁאוּל, Šāʼûl; "asked for, prayed for"; Latin: Saul; Arabic: طالوت ‎ ‎, Ṭālūt or Arabic: شاؤل ‎ ‎, Sha'ūl), according to the Hebrew Bible, was the first king of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah . His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, marked a transition from a tribal society to statehood . </P> <P> Saul's life and reign are described in the Hebrew Bible . He was anointed by the prophet Samuel and reigned from Gibeah . He fell on his sword (committing suicide) to avoid capture in the battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa, during which three of his sons were also killed . The succession to his throne was contested by Ish - bosheth, his only surviving son, and his son - in - law David, who eventually prevailed . A similar yet different account of Saul's life may be given in the Quran . Neither the length of Saul's reign, nor the extent of his territory are given in the Hebrew Bible; the former is traditionally fixed at forty or forty - two years, but there is no reliable evidence for these numbers . </P> <P> The biblical accounts of Saul's life are found in the Books of Samuel . </P> <P> According to the Tanakh, Saul was the son of Kish, of the family of the Matrites, and a member of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the twelve Tribes of Israel . It appears that he came from Gibeah . </P>

Where is the story of saul found in the bible