Abimelech is not numbered as a judge but as a son of a Judge and as a usurper who ruled unjustly. There were also claims among scholars that the person was originally Shammah, yet he was only influenced by the man named Shamgar in the accounts presented in the Song of Deborah. The brave acts of Shamgar as presented in the scriptures had some similarities to what Shammah did, the courageous son of Agee. Thus, we are not given the name of a single Midianite king responsible for this next seven-year oppression. Option 1 is also inconsistent with the overlap between judges and oppressions that I believe applies to the late period. 30 sons on 30 donkeys. Shamgar did what he can at that critical time; If I, writing in 2021, were to say, Columbus (re)discovered America 500 years ago, you would not say that I was wrong, even though the actual number is 529 years, because you would recognize that I am giving a rounded number. It is therefore quite reasonable for him to use a round figure of 300 years in replying to the king of Ammon. So we need to allow adequate time for conquest of Canaan to be completed, and for Joshua and the other elders of Israel to die out. He ruled for an unknown number of years. We thus date the conquest of this area to late 1407 BC and 300 years later would be 1107 BC. He then breaks this down as a sole reign of 12 years for Samuel followed by a 20-year reign for Saul[5], with Samuel overlapping the first 18 years of Sauls reign (and so a total of 30 years for Samuels judgeship). On the right side we can subtract from the fourth year of the reign of Solomon the four years of his reign, and forty years for the reign of David (II Samuel 5:4-5). Following the death of Joshua, Egypt remains absent allowing invasions from Mesopotamia and Moab. Usshers approach to solving the problem of the extra years was to collapse the periods of bondage and peace so that the period of bondage was included in the period of peace as shown above. Shamgar was the son of Anath and from the tribe of Benjamite. how to verify an unverified sender in outlook. Whether he killed them all at once or over many battles is unknown. In this context, Jabin is able to carve out an independent kingdom in Canaan and oppress the Israelites. 8 Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go.". [6] From the form of the name, it is suspected that Shamgar may actually have been a Hittite, a similar name occurring with Sangara, a Hittite king of Carchemish; more recent scholars hold that the name is of Hurrian origin and may well be imig-ari. Judges 2:7-10 tells us: 7So the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua 10When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel. ( Judg. HE will do the rest! Judges 17 and 18 are concerned with events leading up to the conquest of the city of Laish by the tribe of Dan. With the absence of an Old Testament reference to tie it to, I am going to dismiss Pauls 40-year number for now and see what else we can find. There were clearly people operating in the mind of the Lord, but when we come to the end of the book we find a very . Deborah mobilized an army led by Barak, who like her was from the tribe of Naftali. If this is indeed the correct location, then Cushan was most likely a king of the Mittani, a Hurrian kingdom that would later be absorbed into the Assyrian empire. This might be expected given that the people of Israel at this time were largely farmers and herdsmen. Samson It touched my heart. 1400 1350 B.C.). Barak sent crack soldiers in hot pursuit, fearing as long as Sisera lived he would rally another army around him. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? During his reign, the eastern border quieted down but the western one heated up. Who were those fifteen judges of Israel during this era? Samson's life's purpose was to wreak havoc on the Philistines. This period started with the leadership of Moses and finished with Samuel officiating over the crowning of Saul. 15. Learn facts that you cant learn just from reading the Bible ), Ibzan (1081-1075 B.C. When Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Table 1 below shows the full set of references from both the Old Testament books of Joshua, Judges, and I Samuel as well as the corresponding information given by Josephus. He judged Israel for 23 years after Abimelech died. Under Ehud, Israel had rest for 80 years ( Judges 3:30 ). The relevant chronological information is as follows. Remember I told you that the book of Judges is more about salvation than about administration or retribution. Beginning with verse 3 is the account of the battle of Mizpah which ends Israels 40+ year oppression by the Philistines (see Judges 13:1). This gives a total of 44 years, Place Tola, Jair, and the oppression in parallel. However, with the expulsion of the Hyksos from Egypt by Amose, the first Pharoah of the Eighteenth Dynasty, the political situation in Canaan changes. 20:8) Then, by the water-drinking test, all but an alert and watchful 300 are eliminated. The first part of Judges 3 tells how Israel was rescued from King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim (you could call him King Shame-on-ya from Mesopotamia) by Othniel the Kenizzite, the first "judge." . Judges of the Old Testament - Agape Bible Study However, Josephus gives the 20-year reign again in 10.143 with all manuscripts being in agreement. Why Did Christ Ride a Donkey on His Triumphant Entry? how many years did shamgar judge israel. However, this number should be understood as the sum of the years given in scripture and not the actual elapsed time. This scripture is the primary basis for what is known as an early exodus, and the early date is the basis for the timeline proposed here. It then provides the overall narrative pattern of the book: Israel forsakes the LORD and serves other gods, the LORD delivers them into the hands of an enemy, the people call on the LORD in their misery, and He sends a judge to deliver them. Rohl and others have subsequently proposed an alternative chronology going all the way back to the time of the flood. When aligned with the orthodox chronology for Egypt, this timeline presents the usual problems in alignment. JEPHTHAH the Gileadite in Hebrew means: opposer 6 years 1087BC-1081BC, Judges 10:6-12:7. The chronology of the book of Judges has been a problem because when you add up all the numbers and dates given in the book of Judges the sum of years is about 100 years more than what it should be. thing displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to judge us. So Gideon was a simple farmer when God called him to save the Jewish people. They destroyed Siseras army, powerful new metal chariots and all. ABIMELECH in Hebrew means: father of a king (bad) 3 years 1151BC-1149BC. My official timeline will however be based on Option 2. He also destroyed a great idol of Baal and expanded Torah study among the masses. After reading the account of Ehud and the killing of about 10,000 Moabites, it is normal to see Shamgar and the Philistines he killed as simply part of a list of the accomplishments of a man of war. Who was Shamgar? ALL Shopping Rod. So, we should also consider the possibility that Jephthah is reasonably close to that 300-year mark but perhaps somewhat later. For whatever reason, it seems that beginning with Abimilech, there is a more complete history available to the writer of Judges and that is what is passed down to us. The first two years his mother nursed him. Realistically, the numbers likely varied with this number being the average, but as we have no other basis for allocating the 22 year reduction I will use the average numbers. The Song of Deborah describes the times in which Shamgar lived as so dangerous that the highways were unused, travelers preferring to walk through the safer byways (Judg. Their pretext was the corruption of Samuel's sons, but their real reason was (Length Of Rule)Verses (7 years)(Judg 12:8-10) Eventually, by the time of the third Judge, Shamgar ben Anas, the enemies to the east and west had been defeated. The complete Judges timeline is shown below in Figure 8 against the orthodox, or standard chronology for Egypt. When God finally allowed Israel to enter the Promised Land, He commanded it No one could stand against Sisera, including the Jewish people. at Ramah, and said to him, Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in This means that the 40-years of oppression under the Philistines, as recorded in Judges, ends at the same time as the Judges narrative. Copyright JewishHistory.com & The Destiny Foundation. We take a BRIEF look at Israel's third judge. Then were off and running to look up that account. DEBORAH in Hebrew means: bee, wasp (prophetess) 40 years 1237BC-1198BC Judges 4-5. Move Tola in parallel with Jair in the late period. He used an unlikely and ordinary weapon to defeat 600 big guys. Excavations at Jericho indicate that it was destroyed in a manner consistent with the biblical text. Why Should We Know about the Overlooked Judge Shamgar? disputes. Two tribes were dependent upon the Lord and concerned about acquiring the territory that belonged to them in the purpose of God, a very noble ideal. THE PERIOD OF THE RULE OF THE JUDGES OVER ISRAEL - Agape Bible Study When she brought him to the Tabernacle at the age of two Eli was the Judge/Leader and he judged Israel for forty years ( Samuel 4:18). Jabin sent to the king of Shimron, the king of Achshaph, the kings in the . Similarly, the 300 years given by Jephthah may not be exact. Jesus crosses the Kidron Valley Jesus is arrested Jesus is taken to the Praetorium Jesus is tried by Pilate The death of Judas Jesus is executed by crucifixion The Pharisees mount a guard on the tomb Jesus rises from the tomb Jesus appears to his followers Jesus is taken into God's presence Jesus appears to Peter, James & Paul 7. Samson, however, was a one-man operation. As Paul and Josephus were contemporaries its interesting that Pauls number, which must reflect the Jewish tradition at that time, differs from that of Josephus. So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. The next oppressor, for 20 years, is Jabin King of Canaan whose capital was Hazor. Most importantly, Josephus was in possession of the Hebrew scrolls recovered from Herods temple before its destruction, and so likely had access to information that is now lost to us. Verse 31 shows that he was on the scene during, or just after, Ehudduring or just after an 80-year period of peace for Israel from the Moabites in the east (verse 30). Samuel did not judge i.e. [6] This is the sum of the years from the entry into Canaan using the numbers from Josephus and the 23 years given in Judges for Tola, [7] The last mention of the Philistines in the historical books is II Kings 18:8, in the reign of Hezekiah; however, they would continue to be a presence in the land until they were finally wiped out by Nebuchadnezzar II. This 300-year mark is a mere 97 years before the death of Saul. Consequently, the manuscripts that show 40 years likely reflect either a scribal error or an attempt by a later Christian copyist to align this passage with Acts 13:21. how many years did shamgar judge israel. . Youre never a mere mortal. Shamgars name means named a stranger, he is here a stranger. Each of them acted in selfish and disobedient ways, yet it was their faith for which they are commended. This article will dive into the person of Gideon, what God does to make him an even more unlikely candidate to save Israel, and why it matters for us today. The Bible Journey | Israel under the 'judges': Othniel and Ehud However, our understanding of the Egyptian presence in Canaan in the time of Amenhotep III is such that it would not permit an outside power from beyond the Euphrates (i.e., Cushan) to have control far enough south to oppress Israel. At this point, we have a choice. ), Shamgar (1262-1247 B.C. What scripture showing the timespan of Shamgars reign? of As indicated above, I do not believe that Option 1.1 is viable because it compresses the time between the conquest and the first oppression to an unreasonable level. This would not preclude an oppression by the Philistines, it would just mean that they were acting on their own accord. 1.Start where you are Besides lacking central temporal authority (i.e. Shamgar rose to prominence as 600 Philistines invaded his plowing field. The Silence of Shamgar and Deborah - steadfastlutherans.org Rather, the account of the battle with Gideon lists two princes, Oreb and Zeeb, and two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. This is, incidentally, the first time that the Philistines are mentioned in the context of a biblical event. For the current-day Israeli judge, see, https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/shamgar, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shamgar&oldid=1132345328, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia without a Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Unclear; possibly Israelite, Canaanite, or both, at the first mention, Shamgar is identified as a man who repelled, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 12:45. Joshua Gods warrior and the fall of Jericho, The two scouts or spies were Joshuas eyes, Barak the commander of the army, under Deborah the fourth Judge of Israel, Gideon, the fifth Judge of Israel, with Gods help gets 300 men, Ruth, the great-grandmother of King David, Eli the high priest and 9th Judge of Israel, Jephthah the Gileadite the 10th Judge of Israel, The only daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite, the 10th Judge of Israel, Delilah New Ropes, Samson the 14th Judge of Israel, Delilah seeks, Samson the 14th Judge of Israel, Samson sleeps, Samson the 14th Judge of Israel, Death of Samson, the 14th Judge of Israel, Samuel the fifteenth Judge of Israel anoints two kings, Samuel the 15th Judge of Israel and also a Prophet, Background Information Joshua and Judges of Israel, Next Module Three Kings Saul, David & Solomon . Who were the 12 Judges in the Bible? | A Concise and Informative Judges does not mention a number of years and Josephus credits him with less than one. We do not respect them for their follies, we respect them for their faith. In the late period, the 18-year oppression under the Philistines and Ammon and the start of Jairs judgeship do not move and the extra years in Option 1.2 are accommodated by moving Tola into parallel with Jair. After Deborah, eight different Judges ruled Israel over approximately the next 120 years. Judges 19-21 concerns the causes and the aftermath of the civil war which resulted in the near destruction of the tribe of Benjamin. (22 years)(Judg 10:3-5) Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad. - Dwindling In Unbelief EHUD in Hebrew means: strong. It is a song of exultation commemorating a victory so decisive that it would bring tranquility to the Jewish people and usher in a Golden Age. What, if any, relationship exists between this campaign and the raids from Midian is not clear. Thought to be an Ephramite because she resided in Ephraim (4:5), Deborah judged and led Israel for 60 years in the 12th century B.C. Note: This article received a significant update on October 24, 2021 with a completely new solution for the Judges timeline. Moreover, this man handled saving Israel at one point in his life. The Bible Story of Elijah The Life of Ruth - 5 Essential Faith Lessons The Bible Story of Queen EstherThe Greatest Villain - King NebuchadnezzarThe Bible Story of Mary Magdalene. Juni 2022. The marriage of BOAZ and RUTH 1120BC approximately. The first number given in Judges is the 8-year oppression by Cushan-Rishathaim recorded in Judges 3:8. The main enemy was Midian, east of the Jordan. ELI ( at Shiloh) in Hebrew means: JAH is High Levi-high priest 40 years 1107BC-1067BC not in Judges died at 98 1st Samuel 4:14-18 lead Israel for 40 years. Later he married Delilah, also a Philistine woman, whose treachery caused him to fall into the hands of the Philistines. Samuel also anointed the first king of Israel, Saul, and his successor David. He was the 2nd Left handed son of Gera the Benjamite 1316BC-1237BC. (Honestly, I dont have the time to break down all of your stats.) Both were so wicked, they were Judges in Beersheba, and Samuel was so old that Israel who wanted to be like the other nations asked for and got a king. (8 years)(Judg 12:13-15) Shamgar had an Oxgoad? Use what you have and do what you can! It would seem that the lack of a number of years assigned to Shamgar is because he was in parallel with numbers given elsewhere. Shamgar was just a man, but a man of faith empowered by God to do a great thing. Instead of obeying God, [9] Nolen Jones, Dr. Floyd, The Chronology of the Old Testament, Green Forest, Arkansas, Master Books, 2017, pp71-94. Those were the nations they failed to drive out as the Lord commanded earlier. Who was the 7th judge in the Bible? Note 5.198 curiously indicates a short breathing time after the Moabites before the oppression by Jabin, Judges 3:31, Judges 5:6 Shamagar was alive at the time of Deborah, Ant 5.239 referring to Jothams time in hiding, Judges 15:20 In the days of the Philistines; Judges 16:31.