Update: This synopsis was written in 2019 before I revamped the series as “Age of the Kingdom” and released the first book Quest for a King, available now.
A catastrophic battle sets in motion events that lead to Israel’s first monarchy. Eldad, a young smith from Mizpah, is among those who meet the Philistines on the field at Ebenezer. His descendants will play roles in the future, but for now, he is left for dead on the field. Hophni and Phineas, scoundrel sons of High Priest Eli, bring the Ark to the battle. Twice they have been cursed by prophets. Today the curse is fulfilled, as they die and the Ark is taken.
When 98-year-old Eli hears the news, he has a stroke and dies. His daughter-in-law, Atarah, also dies, but first gives birth to a second son. Her sister-in-law, Raquel, aided by Levite Zedikiah, flee Shiloh as the Philistines arrive to sack the home of the wilderness sanctuary.
Months later Eldad returns after recovering. His wife, Hadassah, is nearly raped by two brutish Philistines but Eldad saves her. Later she births sons Jeriah and Azel.
Ten years after Ebenezer, Eldad fights when Samuel the prophet, drives the Philistines out. Samuel gives the people their king: timid Saul. When Jabesh-Gilead is besieged by Ammonites. He calls for volunteers and 300,000 respond, including Eldad and Jeriah.
Years later, Saul’s son, Jonathan, assassinates the Philistine governor and Saul raises men to eject the Philistine garrison, but an army of 20,000 marches from Philistia. Saul is paralyzed, but Jonathan’s heroism results in victory, in which Jeriah is noticed and offered a commission.
Azel also joins the army when Israel fights the Philistines at Elah. Saul is paralyzed by the challenge of a giant. David kills him with his own sword. Israel treats David as a hero but Saul sees him as a threat. He gives him a command, hoping he’ll be killed in battle.
Azel is star-struck and requests a transfer to David’s unit. Jeriah, now a commander, is disappointed Azel didn’t transfer to his unit. Jonathan also befriends David.
King Saul wants to kill David, even after he marries Saul’s daughter. Finally David flees, requesting help from the priests. Saul executes the priests, Eli’s descendants; again, the curse.
David attracts other outcasts and soon has a trained army of 600. Azel joins them with his wife and son. Jeriah is angry that Azel has deserted and fears Saul will find out.
David finally takes refuge in Philistia, where Saul cannot follow. King Achish of Gath gives them the border town of Ziklag, from which David continues to raid Canaanite and even Philistine cities, leaving no one alive, while telling Achish he is raiding in Judah.
Achish assumes David will fight for him against Saul, but others balk and David is sent back to Ziklag. There they discover it sacked by Amalekites and their families taken. David and his men pursue and defeat the Amalekites, rescuing their families without the loss of a single life.
Meanwhile, Saul longs to hear from the Lord as he goes into battle, but Samuel is dead, so Jeriah accompanies him to visit a witch who conjures an apparition who says Saul will die.
That is exactly what happens. Israel’s army retreats to Mt. Gilboa. Saul asks Jeriah, now Saul’s armor bearer, to kill him so he won’t be captured. Jeriah refuses to kill God’s anointed, so Saul commits suicide. Jeriah then kills himself, the only honorable course.
The Philistines behead Saul and his sons and tie their bodies to the walls of Beth-Shan. Men of Jabesh-Gilead cross the Jordan River and retrieve the bodies to bury them honorably..
When word comes to David of the death of Saul and Jonathan he mourns. Azel mourns as well, because he knows if Saul is dead his brother cannot have survived.
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