From the people's demand for a king (1 Sam 8) to the rise of Solomon (1 Kings 1-2), the history of early Israeli monarchy is rich and complex. This text has long been considered a writing of exceptional literary quality, that expresses both the ideals and ambiguities of power.

The present study concentrates on the redactional history of the text. In a first part, it follows the story pericope by pericope to try and disentangle his various threads, in a patient dialogue with current research. In the second part, the text's literary history is rebuilt from the most ancient writings, as early as David's and Solomon's reign, to the present narrative. This study allows to throw new light on the historical David and his time, but also on the composition of the Pentateuch.

The book is written in French.