A fully united kingdom of ancient Israel was a short lived entity that had only three reigning monarchs. The lives and reigns of these three men, Saul, David and Solomon, provide a fascinating structure to a major portion of the Old Testament. Further, they are an ever relevant primer on how the misuse of power can devastate a nation and poison the soul of its wielder. Their lives are three millenia past, but they lessons they teach about power are as yet unlearned.