The united Kingdom of Israel (c. 1050 BC – c. 930 BC) was a kingdom in the Land of Israel according to the Bible, a period referred to by scholars as the United Monarchy. According to the Bible, before the united monarchy, the Israelite tribes lived as a confederation of twelve tribes under an ad hoc charismatic leadership called Judges. In around 1020 BC, under extreme threat from foreign peoples, the tribes united to form the first united Kingdom of Israel. Samuel anointed Saul from the tribe of Benjamin as the first king in c. 1020 BC, but it was David who in c.1006 BC created a strong unified Israelite monarchy.