Our Jewish Heritage
Dr. Lenore C. Kipper, Judaic Studies Director Emerita
After Torah: Time for Tanach, the Books of the Bible
The second section of the Tanach, the Prophets, begins with Joshua leading the Israelites into the land that is to become Israel. The tribes are given different areas in which to settle, build, and protect. Joshua’s leadership guided them to renew the covenant, and his message is to “be strong and of good courage,” as they encounter difficulties with the Canaanites and the Philistines.
The Book of Judges
The Book of Judges is significant in understanding the early years of settlement in Canaan. It gives us a description of Israelite history from the time of the conquest under Joshua to the beginning of the development of the monarchy. After the death of Joshua, there was no strong leader to hold all the tribes together. Each tribe had its local leaders, and they only united when threatened by a common enemy. The judges were not only responsible for settling disputes among the people, but they also had to lead the people in times of battle. They became military heroes who helped lead their tribes against hostile neighbors, the most powerful of all, the Philistines.
The Book of Judges introduces the repeating pattern or cycle of history. Whenever a generation that had experienced God’s wondrous deeds passed away, a new generation would arise that did not remember what God had done. Then the Israelites would stray from their covenant and follow the pagan rites of the peoples among whom they lived. Tradition says that the rise of their enemies was their punishment. When the people turned back from idolatry, a powerful leader led them to overcome their enemies. Then there was a period of peace. M.J. Cohen compares this social and political condition to the early history of the thirteen colonies. It is helpful to look at a map of ancient Israel during the period of the tribes as you read these stories. The places mentioned can be found in the geography and archeology of modern Israel. The territory especially included all the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, north to what is now Lebanon, south to the Beersheba area. This is the historical foundation for what is to become the Kingdom of Israel.
The Role of Deborah
Chapters four and five of The Book of Judges describe the story of Deborah. She could unite some of the tribes to serve as a judge and a prophet. She became the spokesperson for God’s commandments. It is significant that a woman served as a judge. Deborah lived in the territory of Ephraim, and she was known for her great wisdom.
She held court between Ramah and Bethel under a palm tree. During her time, Jabin, the Canaanite king of Hazor, and General Sisera started attacks on the Israelites. Deborah sent for Barak and appointed him general over the united forces of the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, Issachar, Zebulon, and Naphtali. Together they defeated Jabin and Sisera, and they won a great victory on the slopes of Mount Tabor. The land enjoyed peace for forty years. Hazor is one of the important archeological sites in modern Israel, located near Rosh Pina in the northeast, near Lake Kinneret. Mount Tabor is located southwest of the bottom of Lake Kinneret.
The Philistines
The Book of Judges records that the Israelite tribes had a great deal of interaction with the Philistines, sometimes co-existing and cooperating, and sometimes as enemies. The Philistines were one of the Sea Peoples that appeared at the end of the late Bronze Age in the southeastern part of the Mediterranean. According to the Tanach, they were in the Negev area in the 12th and 11th centuries BCE. The five main Philistine cities mentioned in the Tanach are Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath. Each city had a military organization with superior arms, allowing them to impose their rule over the territory. The use of bronze and iron gave them a strong advantage. Their chief God was Dagon. Two popular stories associated with them are Samson and Delilah and David and Goliath. The Philistines and the Israelites came into conflict because both peoples were striving to conquer and control the same territory. Does this sound familiar?
The Story of Samson
Why was Samson included in The Book of Judges? Was he really a judge? Samson, from the tribe of Dan, was a man of tremendous physical strength. The story of his birth is surrounded by mystery. The text tells us that an angel of the Lord appeared to his mother and warned her not to drink any wine or eat anything unclean. The child was to become a Nazarite to the Lord. The angel commanded, “No razor shall be used upon his head, and he was not to drink wine.” From birth, the child belonged to God. He would save Israel from the Philistines. His life consisted of many actions of enormous strength. But his life also involved relationships with women. It was a time of political and moral anarchy in the tribe.
The text tells us that Samson served as a judge for twenty years. After a series of adventures with the Philistines, Samson fell in love with Delilah. She ultimately learned the source of his strength and cut his hair. She turned him over to the Philistines. They gouged out his eyes, put him in bronze chains, and placed him between two pillars of their temple at a feast to their god Dagon. The hair on his head grew back, and he regained his strength. He cried out, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed with all his might, and the temple collapsed on all the people. (Judges 16:30) The tribe of Dan moved to the very north, away from the Philistines.
The period of tribal rule—known as the era of the judges—spanned approximately 1225 BCE to 1020 BCE. Two hundred years of tribal rule, encountering hostile groups around them. It was also a time of challenge to the Covenant. It was time for a change, a time for unity, a time for a king! Next month, I will focus on the books of Samuel, a time of transition.
B ‘Shalom,
Lenore