Saul's life ended in absolute tragedy during a disastrous battle against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa. After his sons—including Jonathan—were killed in front of him, and facing imminent capture by enemy archers, Saul chose to fall upon his own sword to avoid torture and humiliation. The Philistines desecrated his corpse and hung it on the walls of Beth-shan. Proving their ultimate loyalty, the men of Jabesh-Gilead bravely risked their lives to retrieve Saul’s body and give him a proper, honorable burial. Upon learning of the catastrophe, David did not rejoice, but instead composed a famous, sorrowful elegy mourning the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, praising them as fallen heroes.