Samuel I (“Shmuel Aleph”) is the third book of the Prophets, which begins with the birth and leadership of the prophet Samuel. The Israelites request a king and God chooses Saul, who leads the nation to military victories. When Saul fails to adhere to God’s command to annihilate the nation of Amalek, God selects David as Saul’s future replacement. David defeats the Philistine giant Goliath after Goliath dares the Israelites to send a representative to duel him, and spends much of the book escaping Saul’s attempts to kill him.