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The Books of Samuel are two books in the Hebrew Bible ( Tanakh) and the Old Testament.

The Greek Septuagint translators regarded the books of Samuel and the Kings as forming one continuous history, which they divided into four books, which they called "The Books of the Kingdoms." The Latin Vulgate version followed this division, but styled them "The Books of the Kings." These books of Samuel they accordingly called the "First" and "Second" Books of Kings, and not, as in most modern Christian versions, the "First" and "Second" Books of Samuel.

In Hebrew bibles, the two books of Samuel are often considered as just one "Book of Samuel".

The Books show a surprisingly balanced and psychologically believable view of the time they describe. Saul's and David's heroism and strength, their development and their friendships, but also their doubts, sins, and failures are described; this is unique and unprecedented in historiography at the time they were penned, a time when all-positive or all-negative portraits of rulers were the norm.

Traditionally, the authors of the books of Samuel have been held to be Samuel, Gad, and Nathan. Samuel is believed to have penned the first twenty-four chapters of the first book. Gad, the companion of David (1 Sam. 22:5), is believed to have continued the history thus commenced; and Nathan is believed to have completed it, probably arranging the whole in the form in which we now have it ( 1 Chronicles 29:29). Modern criticism regards this view as untenable, and the books are thought not to have reached their final written form until the 7th or 6th century BC, whereas the events they describe come from around the year 1000 BC. They do of course preserve a detailed older (oral or written) tradition to which the traditional authors may have contributed; it seems certain from the books' level of detail that that tradition did indeed originate during the time the books describe.

1 The contents of the books

The first book comprises a period of about a hundred years, and nearly coincides with the life of Samuel. It contains

1. the history of Eli (1-4)
2. the history of Samuel (5-12)
3. the history of SaulSaul or Sha'ul "Demanded", Standard Hebrew #X160;aul Tiberian Hebrew #X160;ul was the first king of Israel according to the Old Testament of the Bible, as taught in Judaism. His story is found in the first of the Books of Samuel. Saul the King Saul was th, and of DavidThis page is about the Biblical king David. For other uses see: David (disambiguation David "Beloved", Standard Hebrew David Tiberian Hebrew Dwi Arabic Dud "Beloved") was one of the most well known kings of ancient Israel, as well as the most-mentioned ma in exile (13-31).

The second book, comprising a period of perhaps fifty years, contains a history of the reign of David. Samuel does not appear in it.

1. David's reign over JudahThe Kingdom of Judah Malchut Yehudah in Hebrew), in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah son of Jacob ( Isr (1-4), and
2. David's reign over all IsraelThe Kingdom of Israel Malchut Yisrael in Hebrew), according to the Bible, was the nation formed around 1021BC from the descendants of Jacob, son of Isaac, who was given the name Israel meaning Struggles With God''. Following the death of King Solomon, c 9 (5-24), mainly in its political aspects, and including his second temporary exile during AbsalomAbsalom, Absalom ''is a novel by William Faulkner. Absalom or Avshalom "Father/Leader of/is peace", Standard Hebrew Avšalom Tiberian Hebrew Ašlom , in the Bible, is the third son of David, king of Israel. He was deemed the handsomest man in th's coup.

The last four chapters of Second Samuel may be regarded as a sort of appendix recording various events, but not chronologically. The death of David and enthronement of SolomonSolomon or Shlomo ( Hebrew: Standard Hebrew: #X160;lomo Tiberian Hebrew: #X160;lomoh meaning "peace") in the Tanakh ( Old Testament), is the third king of Israel (including Judah), builder of the temple in Jerusalem, renowned for his great wisdom and weal, while belonging to the Books of Samuel based on its narrative style, is found at the beginning of the First Book of the Kings.

These books do not contain complete histories. Frequent gaps are met with in the record, because their object is to present a history of the kingdomIn compiling the history of ancient Israel and Judah there are many available sources, including the Jewish Tanakh, the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, the writings of Josephus, other writings, and archeology. Depending on their interpretation, some in its gradual development, and not of the events of the reigns of the successive rulers.

It is noticeable that the section (2 Sam. 11:2-12: 29) containing an account of David's sin in the matter of Bathsheba is omitted in the corresponding passage in 1 Chr. 20.

The Qur'an also contians elements of the books of Samuel. The stories of David and Goliath and the appointment of King Saul are told (see Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an).

This entry incorporates text from Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897, with some modernisation.