David ruled over Judah for 7 1/2 years in Hebron, then the rest of the tribes came and anointed him king over all Israel.   His first act was to march against the fortress city of Jebus (Jerusalem), which was even then called "the City of David" (2 Sam 5:7).  The Jebusites were an ancient Canaanite people, one of the seven nations appointed for destruction by God (Deut 7:1, Deut 20:17), yet until this time untouched by the Israelites.  They were secure behind their hilltop stronghold, until Joab led the attack against them (1 Chron 11:6).  The details of the successful siege are not known.  The date, however, is known to be right around 1000 B.C.  Also, the defeated Jebusites were not slaughtered, but were kept as slaves (2 Chron 8:7-8).

        

This victory was the first decisive extension of the mandate of Joshua to subdue the land since Gideon's massacre of the Midianite army several generations before (Judg 8:28).  Under David, Israel once again took the initiative in aggressive actions against its foreign neighbors:

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         "As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me" (2 Sam 5:20).

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David said this in the midst of successful battles against the Philistines.  Yet he had foreign allies as well:  Hiram, King of Tyre, sent him cedar logs and builders to erect a palace in his new capital (2 Sam 5:11).