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What was the Mental Disease that Afflicted King Saul?

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

In this article, the author discusses the case of the biblical King Saul, the first King of Israel, who ruled the country 3,000 years ago. Evaluation of the passages referring to King Saul's disturbed behavior indicates that he was afflicted by a mental disorder. Among many disorders that could have affected the King, manic episode with psychotic phases, major depression with psychotic features, mixed episode, bipolar disorder I, dysthymic disorder later developed into bipolar disorder, or nonspecific psychotic disorder are the most likely. And among these diagnoses, bipolar disorder I is the most acceptable. The author suggests in this article that the roots of contemporary psychiatry can be traced back to biblical times.

Key Words: psychological sequelae • depression • stress • life events

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