Who was the second king of Israel?

King David reigned from 1008 BC - 970 BC. He was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the bible. He is depicted as a righteous king, although not without fault, as well as an acclaimed warrior, musician and poet (he is traditionally credited with the authorship of many of the Psalms). The narrative depicts him throughout his life as conflicted between his ruthless ambition and lusts, and his desire to serve God. The biblical chronology sets his life c.1037 970 BC, his reign over Judah c.1007 1000 BC, and his reign over the united Kingdom of Israel c.1000 970 BC.

The Books of Samuel is the primary source of information on his life and reign; there is little archaeological evidence to confirm the Bible's picture of David (although the Tel Dan stele records the existence in the mid-9th century of a Judean royal dynasty called the "House of David"), but his story has been of immense importance to subsequent Jewish and Christian culture.