Politics · 18 · Hannah and Samuel
'This is how the king will rule you'
Samuel warns that a king will take sons for his chariots, daughters for his kitchens, the best fields and vineyards for his officials, and a tenth of everything.
Conquest can begin at home.
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Samuel's speech describes how ancient monarchies actually worked: taxing property and conscripting bodies. A standing army replaces the volunteer citizen militia of the People's History. 'You will cry out because of your king, and God will not answer.'
Bible reference: 1 Samuel 8:11–18
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 296–298
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