Category:Judges (subject)

According to the Hebrew Bible, the Judges were political and military leaders of the Twelve Tribes of Israel before the establishment of the monarchy.

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< People : The Book of Judges mentions twelve Judges: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. The First Book of Samuel mentions Eli and Samuel, as well as Joel and Abiah (two sons of Samuel). The Books of Chronicles mentions Kenaniah and his sons, Amariah and Zebadiah (son of Ishmael).

This page is edited by Gabriele Boccaccini, University of Michigan.

Judges -- Sources

Overview

Following the Conquest of the Land of Canaan by Joshua (traditionally dated around 1250 BCE) until the formation of the United Monarchy (traditionally dated around 1047 BCE), the ancient tradition of Israel claims that the Twelve Tribes formed a loose confederation. No central government existed but in times of crisis the people were led by ad hoc-appointed leaders known as Judges.

Historically, the Israelites emerged into the historical record in the last decades of the 13th century BCE, at the very end of the Late Bronze Age. The first reference to "Israel" appears in the Merneptah Stele (around 1207 BCE) in a list of Canaanite tribes subjugated by the Pharaoh in a military campaign in the region. The land of Canaan was poor but strategically important; it was the bridge between the two superpowers of antiquity, and consequently, the battlefield of their ambitions of expansion.

The Book of Judges mentions twelve Judges: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. The First Book of Samuel mentions Eli and Samuel, as well as Joel and Abiah (two sons of Samuel). The Books of Chronicles mentions Kenaniah and his sons, Amariah and Zebadiah (son of Ishmael). The stories related to these largely mythical characters offer a glimpse to the history, culture and religion of the Israelite people in the Late Bronze Age.