21 chapters, 12 local leaders titled ‘judges’ , including one woman, in a book that introduces more women than any other in the bible, along a several centuries long timeline of never-ending wars with the natives of the promised land, plus civil wars, an epic poem, and the seeds of yearning for a monarchy -- Welcome to the Book of Judges.
Scholars debate the authorship of this brief book that spans several generations and seems to contain patches of conflicting legends and traditions about the period between the conquest of Canaan and the next societal stage of colonial leadership - a king. The characters who end up leading are called ‘judges’ - Shoftim in Hebrew. And the title seems to refer not to legal experts who administer justice and judicially elected through law, but rather to local grassroots leaders who bring talent and passion, somehow rising to the top to meet the challenges of their day - most of them in combat.
More like Judge Judy on TV than an actual Supreme Court Justice - the judges in our book seem to be products of popularity. Not always for very long.
The sages attibuted this book’s authorship to the prophet Samuel, whose books come next. More modern scholars date it far later, to the 10th century bce, the time of Kings David and Solomon and the leadership of the Judean nation that they ruled. Some date it even later, to the 6th century BCE, following the shock of the first exile, although fragments within the book are as ancient as 12th century BCE.
The most compelling historical bet is that the final editors represent the later Judean perspective, Jerusalem based, prioritizing their tribe and theology over others, and perhaps using the book as a warning text based on the unfaithful religious lives of the tribes of Israel and their eventual demise.
The fight for the supremacy of Judah over the other tribes and the eventual rise of this tribe to be the holder of the official narrative is one of the strands of this book that begins with Joshua’s death - Strangely he does not leave firm succession plans behind. The tribal leaders travel to Shiloh to consult the divine oracle in order to know who will their next leader be:
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה יְהוּדָ֣ה יַעֲלֶ֑ה הִנֵּ֛ה נָתַ֥תִּי אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃
“Adonai replied, “Let the tribe of Judah rise and lead. I now deliver the land into their hands.”
Judah, although it is unclear who its specific leaders are at this point, is chosen, and brings in allies to continue fighting the Canaanites. They even take Jerusalem, again, at least for a short while.
Why is Judah the star here? By the time this book is written, historians assume, the Northern Kingdon of Israel, whose origins are found in these chapters, no longer exists, destroyed by the Assyrians. But the Southern kingdom of Judah survives, learns its lessons and refutes the cosmopolitan ways of the Kingdom of Israel, replaced with stricter religious idealogoies, stories and laws. Thus the book’s real intent, despite the earlier materials that still slip through - is to glorify the Judean narrative and norms - including the establishment of the regal line of David, born to the Judean tribe, with its center in Jerusalem.
But not quite yet. The chapters of this book include new battles and familiar scenes. Local leaders aren’t just military chiefs but also wise women with strategic mind that manage to get better lands. Once again we encounter Achsa, the daughter of Caleb - from the families of the local Kenizite people who at some point become honored sub-group with the tribe of Judah, and eventually blend in. Achsa’s story that first showed up in the Book of Joshua is repeated here verbatim, making her the first woman in the book, praising this ‘daughter of Judah’ for her resourcefulness in getting more water rights. Meanwhile her husband Otniel, also a Kenizite-Judaite, is about to become the first official ‘Judge.’
What’s clearly missing is religious leadership. And this absence sets the stage throughout this book for the people’s fast-changing trends of obedience to YHWH’s laws - somehow equated with their ongoing failed attempts to secure their land. The judges coming will deal with serious lawlessness.
All rise.
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