Eshbaal ruled a "refugee government" in Gilboa, but the fact that he was Saul's son did not mean that he commanded their loyalty. Though the relationship between David and Eshbaal was unfriendly, it never reached the point of war, and after two years, due to the people's allegiance to David, Eshbaal's career was over. It ended in the bloody murder by two of his officers. With no more rivals, David was free to rule Israel and because there was no-one else left to lay claim to the house of Saul, the people flocked to David in Hebron.
After this David faced threats from the Philistines who could not tolerate his declaration of independence on the part of a reunited Israel. This threat resulted in a battle, which saw the Philistines move into the mountains to try to cut of David at his most vulnerable point. Although this strategy which the philistines used was well worked out, it was no match for David's army and after two defeats in battle they retreated. David's victory over the Philistines was the defining presupposition for the stabilising and later expansion of his rule. The capture of Jerusalem, which had previously been under the hand of the jebusites, was similarly of great political significance. With it, David made himself an independent capital (The City of David) which on one hand was central, and on the other, didn't belong to any of the Israelite tribes. The new capital undoubtedly served to elevate the government to a degree above tribal jealousy. But for Israel to be ruled from a capital of non-Israelite background which was the kings personal holding certainly represented a further step from the old order. Now that David had succeeded in establishing Jerusalem as the political capital, he proceeded to try to establish the city as the religious capital of the realm also. To do this he had to understand the ancient Israelite institutions, and consider them whilst making his changes.
