Saul's Demonstrates His Leadership: 11:1–11 The first opportunity for Saul to exercise his new calling and confirm his role as military leader was provided by the Ammonites, a tribal group who lived on the eastern side of the Jordan and who were involved in skirmishes with Israel over many years, particularly in the eastern section. These Ammonites were so confident of their ability to defeat the citizens of Jabesh Gilead that they placed unacceptable and cruel conditions even on a negotiated surrender. The first thought was surrender; even with the terrible cost involved surrender remained an option. The response of the people of Gibeah was to weep, presumably because they assumed that surrender was inevitable, and their response shows how disheartened, despondent, and uncoordinated the I…