From the moment of his flight David became an outlaw and remained so until the death of Saul. This period of his career is full of stirring adventures which remind us of Robert Bruce or William Wallace of Scotland. Like King Arthur and other heroes he carried a famous sword-the sword of Goliath (
1Sa 21:9). Having obtained it of Ahimelech, he for the first time left Israelite territory and went to the Philistine city of Gath (
1Sa 21:10). Not feeling safe here he left and took up his abode in the cave of Adullam (
1Sa 22:1) in the country of Judah, almost within sight of his native Bethlehem. This cave was admirably suited to the outlaw's purpose and no doubt David had many a time explored its recesses when a boy. Here he was joined by his parents and brothers, with their servants, as well as by all sorts of persons who were at war with the government, debtors, fugitives from justice, and discontented persons generally. David thus became the chief of a band of outlaws who numbered about 400. Of such stuff some of his bravest soldiers were made (
2Sa 23:13 ff). He had an augur, too, to direct his actions, and, after the massacre of the priests at Nob, a priest, Abiathar, carrying an ephod with which to cast lots (
1Sa 22:5;
23:6). During this period he supported himself and his men by making raids on the Philistine outposts and levying blackmail on his own countrymen (
1Sa 25:2 ff) in return for giving them his protection from the Philistines (
1Sa 23:1 ff). Hard pressed both by Saul and the Philistines (who had established themselves even in Bethlehem) he committed his parents to the keeping of the king of Moab, and began to rove as a freebooter through the country (
1Sa 23:5,
15,
25,
29). On two occasions David had Saul in his power, but refused to seize the opportunity of taking his life (
1Sa 24-26). Here again there are no adequate grounds for supposing we have two accounts of one and the same incident. During his wandering David's followers increased in numbers (compare
1Sa 22:2;
23:13;
25:13). His chief lieutenant was his nephew Abishai, the son of his sister Zeruiah, but his brothers, Joab and Asahel, do not seem to have joined David yet. Another of his nephews, Jonathan the son of Shimei (Shammah), is mentioned (
2Sa 21:21; compare
1Sa 16:9) and the Chronicler thinks many other knights joined him during this period (
1Ch 11:10 ff). The position of David at this time was very similar to that of the brigand Raisuli of late in Morocco. That there was some stability in it is shown by his taking two wives at this time-Ahinoam and Abigail (
1Sa 25:42,
43).