According to the Bible: A Time of Tribal Confederacy (c. 1250-1030)
According to the Bible, the Hebrews begin to consolidate as a loose tribal confederacy in the hill country of the later Judaea and Samaria. Their common purpose is defense against the Canaanite city states and the Philistaeans in the fertile coastal plains who possess superior weaponry. Tracing their common ancestry to slaves escaped from Egypt and to semi-nomadic herdsmen, the Hebrews loath the urban society and fertility rituals of the Canaanite agriculturists. Their god YHWH endorses charismatic leaders and war lords, the biblical judges, but no permanent leader or king.
Biblical Texts Pertaining to the City of Jerusalem Before the Rise of the First Israelite Monarchy under Saul
The First Monarchy: King Saul
According to the Book of Judges, the days 'when there was no king in Israel' were characterized by anarchy and chaos. Nevertheless, the transition from tribal confederacy to monarchy is painful and traumatic. It contradicts the ancient formula of the kingship of YHWH.
The first Israelite king, the Benjaminite Saul, still has the features of a war lord, yet prophet Samuel anoints him as the king, following the demand of the people for better protection against their external enemies.
Source: 1 Samuel 8-15