Battle of Mount Gilboa
| Battle of Mount Gilboa |
A 14th-century depiction of the battle by Jean Fouquet. |
| Date |
c. 1100 BCE |
| Location |
Plain of Esdraelon, northern Israel |
| Result |
Philistine victory |
|
| Belligerents |
| Israelites |
Philistines |
| Commanders and leaders |
| Saul † |
? |
| Strength |
| unknown |
unknown |
| Casualties and losses |
| no reliable estimates |
no reliable estimates |
According to the Bible, Saul, the king of the Israelites, went to war against the Philistines, who were attacking his kingdom. Facing a more numerous and sophisticated enemy, Saul used guerilla tactics, but was eventually forced to confront a Philistine army. Sure to be defeated on level ground, where the Philistines could use their chariots, the Israelites retreated to the steep, rocky ridge of Mount Gilboa. Yet the Philistines were not deterred by the terrain: they stormed the ridge, taking a heavy toll from the Israelites. As his army fell around him, including his three sons, Saul took his own life rather than fall into enemy hands.
References