David said, Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief.
David’s capture of Jerusalem was foundational to all the political and religious events that followed. The earliest reference to Jerusalem (Salem) that archaeologists have found so far occurs in the Ebla tablets that date from about 2400 B.C. [Note: See Eugene H. Merrill, "Ebla and Biblical Historical Inerrancy," Bibliotheca Sacra 140:550 (October-December 1983): 302-21; and Giovanni Pettinato, "The Royal Archives of Tell Mardikh-Ebla," Biblical Archaeologist 39 (May 1976):44-52.] Joab’s deed shows he was a mighty warrior. By fortifying Jerusalem, David established a secure base of operations at a politically neutral site between Israel and Judah. This led to his succeeding, though the real reason for his greatness was that the Lord of Armies was with him. God was with David because David was with God, as well as because God had chosen David as His vice-regent. Payne believed that David established a "constitutional" monarchy, which was unique in the ancient Near East. [Note: Payne, "First Chronicles," p. 377.] 