But David’s presence formed ground for suspicion, and he was dismissed to return with his men to =Ziklag=. The situation of this place is not known, but from various circumstances it could not have been far off from the hill country of Judæa and in the general vicinity and south of Gath, since Achish, who gave him the place, was king of that city.[86] =17.= On his return to Ziklag, finding that the Amalekites of the far south had burned his city and carried off all the families, David and his men pursued after them, recovered all, and returned to Ziklag. “=The south=” was a special term for that country beginning somewhere about Beersheba and reaching fifty or sixty miles south, and perhaps farther. =18. The duration of Saul’s reign= was about forty years, or as the commonly received chronology presents it, from 1095 B. C. to 1056 B. C., and at the latter date Saul and his eldest son Jonathan died upon the battlefield. In this great battle the Philistines, as we have said, used bows and arrows, and in this respect had a great advantage over the Israelites, who were not taught the use of this instrument in war until after this battle, 2 Sam. 1:18, and in the reign of David. CHAPTER II. THE REIGNS OF DAVID AND OF SOLOMON. =1. Upon the death of Saul= and Jonathan the kingdom of Israel was ruled by =two kings=, David and the son of Saul, Ish-bosheth, whom Abner, the captain-general of Saul’s host, had made king over all Israel excepting Judah, which was loyal to David, 2 Sam. 2:4. Saul’s son reigned only two years, when he was assassinated by two of his “captains of bands.” After this event the chief men of Israel came to David, who was at Hebron, and entered into a league with him, by which he became king over all Israel at the age of forty years. After seven years of reign at Hebron he attacked the city of the Jebusites, 18 miles north of Hebron. This place was known as JERUSALEM in after ages, although at that time called Jebus, 1 Chron. 11:4. The position of Jebus was an exceedingly strong one. =2. From recent examinations=, by shafts and excavations, the site of the Jebus of David’s time was a rocky eminence, precipitous towards the east, south, and southwest, with access on other sides except for a short space on the north. The top was unevenly level, but only a part of this top seems to have been occupied by the city of Jebus, the southern part having a fortification distinct from the walled-up portion on the north and northeast. This part was taken by David on his arrival, and the remaining part, after some delay, was captured in a very courageous attack by an officer whose name was Joab.