During the period covered by 1 and 2 Samuel, Israel was transformed from a scattered collection of tribes into an established monarchy. The key figures were Samuel himself and Israel's first two kings, Saul and David. Samuel reversed the chaotic situation of the judges period by giving a new importance to prophecy and by anointing Saul and David as kings (1 Samuel 1-16). Though Saul initially submitted to God's will, he showed little respect for the words of either God or Samuel. God therefore rejected him as king, and replaced him with 'a man after his [i.e. God's] own heart' (1 Samuel 13:14). The account of Saul's subsequent jealous persecution of David is often called 'The story of David's rise' (1 Samuel 16-31). David's reign occupies the whole of 2 Samuel, and reaches its climax in a covenant in which God promised that David's dynasty would last for ever (2 Samuel 7). The story of David's final years in the so-called 'Succession narrative' (2 Samuel 9-20, 1 Kings 1-2), however, is marked by rape, rebellion, and revenge. This is understood as God's punishment for David's adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah. Kingship forms the main theme of the books, but there is an intricate interplay between God's kingship and the attitudes of Saul, David and the people towards Israel's monarchy. Although God chose Saul and David and confirmed the position of David's family, neither Saul nor David emerge with great credit. The crucial difference between them, however, was that while Saul stayed unrepentant, David repented of his sins (2 Samuel 12:13; 24:10), though it was God's unseen providence that really kept Israel's hope alive (2 Samuel 21:17). The two books form an important historical source for early Israel and are an outstanding example of early narrative literature. They are especially notable for their candid criticisms of Israel's leaders. They have been incorporated into the Deuteronomic History, whose distinctive style is particularly evident in various speeches and prayers (e.g. 1 Samuel 12; 2 Samuel 7). The books are probably best described as prophetic history, since they are less concerned with recording mere events than with indicating what God had to say through prophets such as Samuel, Nathan and Gad.