In such circumstances the gathering of organized, armed troops, from all quarters of the land, is historically inconceivable. Moreover, the very idea of such an armed force at that time is highly improbable. If such an army ever existed, could it have remained so well organized immediately after the defeat at Mount Gilbo’a? And further, one of the basic problems of Saul’s army was that of arms: ‘Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel . . . so on the day of the battle there was neither spear nor sword found in the hand of any of the people’ (I Sam. 13.19–22). The
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