This occurred around 1200 BC where it is listed on the Bible Timeline Chart. The children of Israel ‘did evil in the sight of the Lord’ (Judges 6:1) and from that God caused them to be taken over by Midian for seven years. During that time the Midianites, Amalekites and those from the East went against Israel and pillaged their lands; leaving nothing to salvage. From this, the children of Israel were sorely grieved and prayed to the Lord.
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In response, God sent a prophet who told them of God’s mercy in taking them out of Egypt and protecting them. Because they had not obeyed, they were not kept safe. Then Gideon prayed and asked God for his miracles to return to be saved from the Midianites. The Lord then told Gideon to go and save Israel. Gideon was unsure of his strength and told God of his meek circumstances. God assured him that he would prevail. (Judges 6:16) After offering a sacrifice towards the Lord and seeing an angel Gideon felt comforted and knew he would not be killed (Judges 6:17-23).
‘Gideon and His Men Destroying the Altar of Baal’
Following God’s instruction during the night Gideon tore down the altar of Baal and replaced it with an altar for the Lord. Upon seeing this in the morning, the men of the city were angry and asked Joash for his son so they could kill him. In response, Joash stood and requested Baal to defend himself because it was his altar. Then he named Gideon Jerubbaal for throwing down the altar.
The Midianites, Amalekites and the ‘children of the East’ came together and put up their tents in the valley of Jezreel. Gideon (Jerubbaal) and his people woke early that morning and traveled along the well of Harod to keep the Midianites on their Northside. God then spoke to Gideon and told him his army was too great and would boast of themselves and not the Lord if they were victorious. So Gideon asked for those who were afraid to return and was left with 10,000. This was still too many for the Lord. So only those who came by the water and drank by bringing their hands to their mouth instead of kneeling down were allowed to stay and fight; thus bringing the army down to only 300 men.
Before their attack, Gideon needed his fears comforted once more and so God sent him down before the attack with his servant Phurah to spy on the host. The army of his enemies was so vast it was innumerable. Upon closing in at hearing range, Gideon heard a man speaking of a dream he had received. “Behold I dreamed a dream, and, lo a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.” (James 7:13) The comrade of the man who spoke his dream interpreted it to mean that Midian would fall into the hand of Gideon with God’s help. So Gideon felt assured of his victory and feared no more.
That night Gideon and his men surrounded the camp of the Midianites. They all carried trumpets and empty pitchers with lamps inside. So upon Gideon’s command blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers, held up the lamps and cried, “The sword of the Lord, and Gideon”. The men in the camp were frightened and turned upon each other and fled.
Gideon then gathered all his men to battle with the Midianites until victory and Israel were set free. He declined the offer to become King and upon his death Israel went back to idolatry.
‘Shofar (by Alphonse Lévy) Caption says: “To a good year” – A shofar, symbol of the Rosh Hashanah holiday’
This holiday is the start of the ‘High Holy Days’ for the Jewish people. It is a celebration of Adam and Eve, and a time to plan for the new year based on lessons learned from the past. This holiday starts a 10 day phase of repentance closing with ‘Yom Kippur’ which is through the evenings of Oct 3 & 4. This allotted time is referred to as the ‘Days of Awe’ when many will attempt to right wrongs towards those who had been insulted from the year before. It is thought that God records names in books to decide who will live, die, enjoy a nice life or vise versa. This is done on Rosh Hashanah and finalized at Yom Kippur. What people have done (repented, prayed, good deeds) through this time period could change the outcome. Based on the depth of commitment many will take off work and avoid technology. This is the most valued Jewish celebration where they are expected to fast for 25 hours starting at the sunset the day before Yom Kippur and ending by nightfall the day of. During this time most will done white as a reflection of being clean.
Elon, which also appeared as Ahialon in other translations, was one of the judges in the land of Israel. His name was of Hebrew origin, which meant “strong” or “oak”. In Latin, he was referred to as Ahialon. This judge served in Israel after Ibzan, and his successor was Abdon. According to the Book of Judges 12:11, Elon came from the Tribe of Zebulun. He also became a judge for a period of ten years.
Accounts on Judge Elon
In the Bible, Elon was a Zebulunite. The length of time that he served as a judge in Israel was ten years, which was from 1073 to 1063 BC where he is listed on the Bible Timeline Chart. When he died, he was burried in the land of Zebulunites, which was in Aijalon. Other than these details, there were not much mentioned about this man in the Bible. However, there were eight other men who also had the name Elon, based on the scriptures.
Beautiful and strong Oak tree the meaning behind Elon
According to the Bible, there were three great judges of Israel that helped shape the society during the time of their rule. Their goal was to maintain the society’s peaceful and happy state with their wisdom and ability to ensure justice in the lives of all the people in their land. Moreover, these judges aimed to live in harmony with others, as well as to be of service to the people around them. They also did their best to maintain a solid communion with God as they lived their life. This way, they could attain wisdom and all the right traits that would help them become of great assistance to the people.
One of the known judges in Israel was Jephthah, and he ruled for six years as a judge. He was a Gileadite, and he became notable for his wisdom in the tasks he performed. When he died, he was buried in Gilead, which was his hometown.
After the rule of Jephthah, Ibzan became the next judge of Israel. He was from Bethlehem, and he had several sons and daughters. He decided to send his daughters abroad, where they all got married to those who were outside the clan of Ibzan. The same fate happened to his sons who were also married abroad.
This great judge served Israel for seven years, and he was buried in his native land when he died.
Elon became the successor of Ibzan. This wise judge was a Zebulunite, and he became Israel’s judge for ten years. When he died, another judge took his place, and his name was Abdon, who was the son of Hillel. His successor was from Pirathon, and he became a wise and fair judge to the people of Israel.
Fall is a beautiful time of year and a wonderful transition of seasons with vast amounts of colorful changes. It marks the beginning of many gatherings and celebrations with family and friends. The nation of Israel was commanded by God to partake in specific feast days in order to honor Him and commemorate certain events in their history. Several of these feast days take place during the autumn season, and the remainder are celebrated in the spring.
The most important celebrations from the Old Testament listed in order are: Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles or ‘Ingathering’). Along with that, Israel kept the Sabbath weekly and had a feast for every New Moon.
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These events did many things for the people of Israel. It gave the people a chance to come together and enjoy a common link. It was an act of honor to remember and show others the story of God’s help through the exodus and sojourn. It was a way of teaching many lessons learned from doing wrong, judging and forgiving. It was an act of thanks towards God and showed trust in him as opposed to relying on material value. It also gave a promise for the future in greater things to come. The festivals were so influential that it is no wonder the biggest feasts were all somehow mentioned in the New Testament. Keeping in mind that over celebrating or tainting the holidays attracted God’s displeasure and foreboding from the prophets. (Isa 1:13-14)
Feast of Passover (Pesach) and Unleavened Bread (Mazzot)
The barley-harvest festival eventually combined the dedication of the Exodus, when the Hebrews were freed from Egypt. It started out as a celebration inside the home where a perfect lamb was killed and then eaten. Then it’s blood was put on the tops of the doors with a branch of hyssop. (Exodus 12:1-13, 21-28, 43-49; John 19:29) This was done on the 14th of Nisan/Abib (‘Day of Preparation’). The Passover meal was done right after the sun went down which was the start of the 15th day according to the Jewish calendar.
The Unleavened Bread feasts lasted 7 days and can be linked to the Exodus as well because the Hebrews were not allowed time to let the bread rise when they were departing Egypt (Exodus 12:14-20; 13:3-10). Putting both events together turned it into a huge event where many traveled to the Jerusalem Temple in order to offer a sacrificial lamb (Leviticus 23:4-14; Num 9:2-5; 28:16-25; Deut 16:1-8).
In today’s Judaism all of the ‘Song of Songs’ is spoken inside the synagogue at the time of Pesach.
Feast of Weeks (Pentecost or Shavuot)
The original ‘Wheat-Harvest’ celebration was at some point scheduled to occur 7 weeks (50 days for the Hebrews) after the Passover (Leviticus 23:15-21; Numbers 28:26; Deuteronomy 16:9-12; 34:22). Eventually, it evolved into a dedication towards the gift of the Torah on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-20).
Today’s Judaism read the Book of Ruth at the time of the Feast of Shavuot.
Barley
Firstfruits This occurred at the start of the harvest and symbolized Israel’s thankfulness towards and reliance on God. (Leviticus 23:9-14). Firstfruits can mean two things resit gasir (‘beginning of harvest’) or bikkuim. Resit can translate into ‘first’ such as ‘the first to appear’ or ‘best’. Bikkurim makes it clearer from its definition ‘firstfruits to appear’ similar to bekor or ‘firstborn’. Firstfruits is mentioned in Leviticus 23:9-14 along with the Feast of Unleavened bread and was primarily about the barley harvest. However, there was an offering of firstfruits linked with the Feast of Weeks (Numbers 28:26-31) focusing on the wheat harvest. It appears that the Israelites took the ‘firstfruits’ of the harvest to the Lord and different occasions throughout the growing seasons, and that there was a specific firstfruits celebration each year linked with the Passover, 7 weeks prior to Pentecost (Lev 23:15). This festival was a declaration of trust and gratitude for all he had done for them in freeing them from Egypt and providing them with food.
‘A Western depiction of the Pentecost, painted by Jean II Restout, 1732.’
The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)
Seven weeks after Passover (Lev 23:15; Deut 16:9) Pentecost was celebrated. This was at the end of the grain harvest. Similar to firstfruits it occurred right after the Sabbath. Deuteronomy 16:10 asks participants to give an offering according to the amount of harvest they had gathered that season with Leviticus 23:17-20 and Numbers 28:27-30 listing directions for priests who were directed to offer in the name of the nations.
The Pentecost was highly regarded as the day that the ‘Spirit was poured out on the church’. It started around the Book of Joel when there was a disastrous locust infestation that devastated Israel. Each kind of farming, even the grapes, olives, wheat, barley, figs, pomegranates, and apples were consumed. (Joe 1:7-12) The livestock had nothing to eat, and the extent of the damage was highlighted by drought (1:19-20). Despite this, Joel called everyone together to repent and pray (2:12-17) then foretold of a recovery (2:21-27). He then announced that the Spirit would be ‘pour out’ over everyone despite gender, age or social standing (Joel 2:28-32). He combined the analogy of farming and material prosperity to ‘spiritual restoration’.
The Feast of Trumpets
There was a law for the first day of the seventh month (Tishri) to be a holiday and holy gathering for sacrifice (Lev 23:23-25; Num 29:1-6). Numbers 29:1 calls it ‘a day of trumpet blast’ which is why it is referred to as The Feast of Trumpets. Even though every new moon was celebrated with the Israelites, the new moon of the seventh month was particularly accentuated. It is theorized that the Feast of Trumpets was a type of New Years Day, and Autumn might have been the start of the New Year.
‘Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur, by Maurycy Gottlieb (1878)’
This was a very somber day to be respected and focused on ‘atoning for the sin of the people’. It is written about in depth in Leviticus 16 and punctuates the point of the holiday ‘The Lord spoke to Moses ‘after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord’’(Lev 16:1). It was held on the tenth day of the seventh month. Those who took God lightly were punished such as Aaron’s son were. A priest performed a ceremonial sacrifice as an offering of atonement for his people and even though it is not well known how the sacrifices were done; it is apparent that such acts left a strong feeling of following God’s commandments or facing his anger. Read more about this holiday in this article: Rosh Hashanah.
Feast of Booths (Tabernacles of Ingathering)
This occurred in Tishri 15, 5 days following the Day of Atonement which might have been the middle of October. It is referred to in Leviticus 23:33-43 and Deut 16:13-15. The most account of how the week transpired is found n Numbers 29:12-40. For a weak the people of Israel gave gifts to the Lord and stayed in huts created from palm fronds and leafy trees. The reasoning being doing so was in remembrance of their travels before coming to Canaan. (Lev 23:43) The sacrifices offered to the Lord during this time were vast: 71 bulls, 15 rams, 105 lambs, and 8 goats; where they were entirely burnt with fire and no man was allowed to eat of the meat. This accentuated the lesson that everything from the ‘promised land’ was given to them by God and that they should become prideful or ungrateful.
The Frequent Holidays: The Sabbath
This day occurred every 7th day in honor of the creation (Exod 20:11) and the Exodus (Deut 5:15). This was a very special time and something to not be forgotten or overlooked. (Num 15:32-36). With time it would evolve into a subject of disagreement from the Jewish leaders against Jesus (Matt 12:1-14; John 9:16). However, the Sabbath was the foundation of significant religious progression inside the New Testament (John 5:16-30; Heb 3:7-4:11).
The Feast of the New Moon
On the first day of every new moon there is a celebration with trumpets and a dedicated sacrifice (Num 10:10; 28:11-15). Since it is a frequent day of worship it is frequently brought up in conjunction with the Sabbath (2 Kings 4:23; Amos 8:5).
click here for a list of fun ideas to keep fall Christian centered.
The name Ibzan is of Hebrew origin, which means ‘splendid’. In the Bible, this name is mentioned as one of the judges of Israel. He can be found on the Bible Timeline at the beginning of the 1st century B.C. There is little information stated in the Bible about him other than brief facts about his life and death. According to the Book of Judges 12:8-10 in the King James Version, Ibzan was originally from Bethlehem. He became a judge in Israel, and he remained in that position for seven years. Ibzan also had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He sent them abroad and took in 30 daughters-in-law for his sons. According to several scholars, this passage referred to Bethlehem as the place that was a part of the territory occupied by the Tribe of Zebulun. It was rather different from the Bethlehem that most people know, which was a part of the area where the Tribe of Judah remained. In the Talmud, though, Ibzan was often associated with Boaz, who was a figure mentioned in the Book of Ruth. This man settled in Bethlehem in the land of Judah, where he also lived with Ruth and consummated his marriage during the very last night of his life.
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‘The lion is the symbol of the Tribe of Judah. It is often represented in Jewish art, such as this sculpture outside a synagogue.’
Accounts on Ibzan
There was not much detail presented in the Bible about the life and character of Ibzan. However, it was clear that Ibzan became Israel’s tenth judge. Although he was noted to have been originally from Bethlehem, it was not very clear if this town was the one from the Tribe of Zebulun or the Tribe of Judah.
Judge Ibzan served as Israel’s great judge for 7 years. There were accounts that he became a judge from 1081 to 1073 BC. When Ibzan died, he was buried in his hometown. Other than these details, there were not much stated about him. He had several sons and daughters that lived abroad, and he sent them far from their native land to find husbands and wives.
Persia is listed on the Biblical Timeline around 1454 BC and at a later point ruled by King Cyrus, as mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. The king ruled the land with much wisdom, and he served the people as a great king should. In Ezra 1:1-3, it was stated that Cyrus ordered god’s people to build a temple for the Lord. Indeed, he was among the greatest rulers in the history of Persia. It is also worth noting that of all the other empires that reigned over the Israelites, it was the Persians who allowed the return of the citizens of Judah‘s southern kingdom to their native land. This occurred 70 years after they lived in exile under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar.
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During the pinnacle of Persia, the empire extended to Greece, India, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Caspian Sea. The people of Persia also came originally from Media, and they decided to settle in Persia, specifically on the eastern portion of the Persian Gulf.
‘During the pinnacle of Persia, the empire extended to Greece, India, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Caspian Sea.’
The Persians were noted to be Aryans; there were two lines that came forth from Teispes, who was the early leader of Persia. Teispes gained control of Elam during the downfall of the Assyrian Empire, and he had lines in Persia and Anzan. The king of Anzan at that time was Cyrus II, and he united the people after conquering Babylonia, Lydia and Media. On the other hand, Cambyses, the son of Cyrus II, controlled Egypt. During that period, Egypt was under the rule of Darius, who was the son of Hyptaspes. Darius and his several successors considered Persepolis as the ceremonial capital, which is one of Persia’s ancient cities.
Persia helped shape Bible history
Te Aryans
Based on a Biblical perspective, the people of Persia helped shape Bible history. For instance, these people were a part of the chain of several empires that became a part of history such as the Egyptians during the period of Exodus. The Assyrians who defeated the Lost Ten Tribes, the Babylonians who gained control of Judah’s southern kingdom, and the Persians who allowed the return of Israelites to Jerusalem.
During the 5th century BC, Darius I formed the Aryan race upon declaring himself as a Persian. In fact, Herodotus mentioned that the Iranian race was often noted in history as Aryans. Based on history, the Aryans migrated from Iran and traveled to other parts of the world due to climatic events such as the end of the Ice Age period. Once rainfall decreased, and the lake eventually dried up, the inhabitants who had an Aryan culture and language decided to settle in Iran.
Furthermore, the term Iran was derived from the word Aryan, which pertained to the land of Aryans. Thus was the story of the migration of the Aryans, and the possibility that these people originally came from a remote land. Upon arriving in Iran, they gave it a name and considered to make it as their new homeland. However, in historical accounts, Central Asia has often been labelled as the land of the Touran, Khwarazm, Turkistan, Sakas and Khiveh. None of these words, though, were linked to the word Aryan.
It was believed that by about 2000 BC, Achaeans or tribes of Indo-European Greeks set foot in Greece. Here, they gained control of the early inhabitants of the land and formed citadels at various sites including Mycenae, Athens and Pylos. The Achaeans were also referred to as Mycenaeans, and they have incorporated and developed the Minoan cultures. Although this group of people were warlike by nature, they excelled in trading.
Further Studies about the Mycenaeans of Ancient Greece
In a study by Heinrich Schliemann, the Mycenaean kings gained much wealth during their rule. As evident in the different archaeological finds including precious items made of ivory, silver and gold. Moreover, the royal palace located at Mycenae had impressive and vast storerooms, lavish audience rooms and elegant walls with fresco designs. There were also tombs that were made of cut stone, which also appeared as intricate and impressive as the other structures in the area. As the Mycenaean civilization progressed, colonies began to spread in the eastern Mediterranean. By 1450 BC where Lydians can be found on the Bible Timeline Chart, Knossos was also conquered when the labyrinthian Palace was destroyed by fire. However, this very same palace was reconstructed by the Mycenaeans, and Aegean civilization was transferred to mainland Greece.
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The Neo-Hittite kingdom handled the developments made on Lydia. After the empire of the Hittites reached its end in 12 BC. During the rule of the Hittites, Lydia was referred to as Arzaea, and it was dominated by people who spoke in the Luqian language. However, there was a Greek source that claimed the Lydian kingdom’s original name was Maionia. Also, Homer’s texts referred to Lydia’s inhabitants as Maiones. He also described the capital as Hyde instead of Sardis, although it was possible that Hyde was the district’s name where Sardis was situated.
Herodotus claimed that Lydians became the new name for the occupants of the land, based on the king’s name that was Lydus. As presented in the Book of Jeremiah, Lydians was the Hebrew term for the land, and it was believed to have begun from Lud, who was the son of Shem. It is also worth noting that in the Biblical period, warriors in Lydia were known as skilled archers.
The people of Lydia were involved in trading, and they were excellent in commercial tasks. They even had customs that resembled what the Greeks had, as they were among the first groups of people who succeeded in establishing and managing retail shops. They also invented metallic coins, which were used in trades and sparked the commercial revolution that had a huge impact on Greek civilization.
By the 7th century, the kingdom of Lydia had reached its peak under the rule of Alyattes, who also decided to broaden his rule in Ionia. There were even greater developments in the kingdom largely because of the rule of Croesus, who was the son of Alyattes. However, the Lydian monarchy soon reached its end because of the Persians under the rule of Cyrus.
The name Jabin was based on the Hebrew language, which means “wise” or “discerner”. It is a Biblical name, which refers to the King of the land of Hazor, as mentioned in the Book of Joshua 11:1-14. Based on the scriptures, he was a part of the confederacy against Joshua. He was also responsible for the conquest of the land during that period, as stated in Joshua 11:21. Jabin can be found on the Bible Timeline Chart starting around 1354 BC.
It is also worth noting that there is another king of Canaan who was known to overpower the people of Israel in The North, about 160 years after the death of Joshua. Moreover, the king has kept them in subjection for 20 years. It was during this period that the entire nation was filled with fear and hoped to be redeemed one day.
In the Book of Judges 4:10, it was mentioned that Barak and Deborah inspired the people and helped gather as much as 10,000 men to try and become victorious over the army of Jabin. Thus, this was the very first successful attempts of Israel during the time of Joshua. Because of their victory, they had no reason to join and fight another battle against the people of Canaan.
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Jabin was the king of Canaan, and he was noted to have rebuilt the capital city in the region of northern Canaan following the victory of Joshua in that land. He also had great control of the northern portion of Canaan.
In Joshua 4:2, it was apparent that Jabin was merely a title given to the kings of Hazor. In fact, there was one Jabin that Joshua was able to defeat and kill, as presented in Joshua 11:1. Based on archaeological finds, this confirmed the early destructions made by the people under the leadership of Josha, as well as the victory made under the rule of Barak.
There were several references made to Jabin, and archaeologists have successfully discovered three additional references other than the ones mentioned in the Book of Joshua and Deborah. With this in mind, it was indeed true that Jabin was only a dynastic title for kings instead of referring to only one king.
Based on archeological findings, Jabin King of Hazor once ruled in 1402 BC. He was mentioned in Joshua 11:1. In 1200 BC and the Book of Judges 4:2, another Jabin was noted, and it indicated that the Israelites were sold to a king of Canaan who reigned over them for a long period. Sisera was the army’s commander, and he was a resident of Harosheth-ha goyim.
It could also be possible that Hazor was one of the most significant cities in the region. According to Joshua 11:10, Joshua seized and killed the king with a sword. Joshua’s army killed every person in Hazor using a sword, and they successfully destroyed all people. Then, Hazor was burned through fire. Thus, the Bible used Jabin as a term for a dynastic title. The king of Hazor also ruled in long periods of succession for 500 years.
Lastly, there was a small portion of a clay tablet that archaeologists found with the text addressed to Jabin, who was Hazor’s king. While the Jabin mentioned on the tablet was not similar to the Jabins in the Bible, it aimed to negate the fact that Jabin was not a king’s title at Hazor.
Situated in the Middle East and bordered by several countries including Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, Syria was among the oldest inhabited places in the world. Based on the Bible Timeline it can be dated back to 1954 BC. The Dederiyeh Cave, which is located in Syria, contains a wide range of archeological finds including ceramics, tools and human skeletons that prove the existence of humans in this place.
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Based on historians, Syria was a thriving trade region, largely because of its several ports located on the Mediterranean. It was also ruled by many Mesopotamian empires that supported its growth and development as a nation. The regions including Syria were once known by the name Eber Nari, which means “across the river.” It was the Mesopotamians who gave this name to the regions, and this included a few other areas including modern-day Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Together, these nations were called “The Levant.”
‘Reliefs from Tel Halaf dating to the Aramean kingdom of Bit Bahiani.’
In the Books of Nehemiah and Ezra, Eber Nari was often mentioned. There were also accounts of the region in the texts of the Persian and Assyrian kings. As for the modern name of the region of Syria, it was noted by some scholars that this originated from Herodotus, as he had a habit of pertaining to the entirely of Mesopotamia as simple Assyria.
Thus, when the Assyrian Empire reached its end in 612 BC, its western regions were referred to as Assyria. However, it was popularly known as Syria when the Seleucid Empire took over. There were assumptions, though, that the name originated from the Hebrew language as the inhabitants were called Siryons. The people were called this way because of the metal armor worn by the soldiers, which was called “Siryon.”
Early Developments in the Regions of Syria
There were early settlers in the area including Tell Brak. After some excavations made in this region, there were arguments by scholars that early civilization started in the north. However, it was also possible that progress has been simultaneous in both of the areas in Mesopotamia. It was only after Max Mallowan’s excavations at Tell Brak that it confirmed them in this part of the region.
Mari and Ebla were the two most significant cities in Syria during early civilizations. These two cities were known to dress in Sumerian fashion, and they worshiped deities by the Sumerians. Also, there were cuneiform tablet collections that were written in the Sumerian and Akkadian languages. These tablets included information about the day to day life and economy of the early civilization in the region, as well as some personal letters.
As for the excavations conducted in Ebla, it was discovered that the palace was burned once including Nineveh‘s famous library. Fortunately, the fire helped bake the clay tablets, which also preserved these. Hence, these tablets provided an understanding of the life and civilizations in Mesopotamia including Ancient Syria.
King Eglon was one of the rulers of Moab, and he was also responsible for the oppression and sufferings of the Israelites as presented in the Book of Judges. His name has several meanings including ‘Chariot’ and ’rounds’. He is on the Biblical Timeline Chart around 1354 BC.
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One of the meanings for King Eglon’s name was ‘chariot.’
In the Bible
Eglon was the leader of the confederacy of the Ammon, Amalek and Moab. It was narrated in the scriptures that there was a day when Ehud came to present a customary tribute. Then, he tricked Eglon and killed him using a sword. However, when Ehud tried to draw back the sword, the fat in the king’s body stopped him from retrieving it. When the king’s servants saw him in this state, they only assumed that he was only trying to relieve himself. Thus, the king’s men only left him alone.
In the Talmudic tradition, several rabbis believed that Eglon had a daughter named Ruth. He was rewarded by God when he showed respect after Ehud mentioned the name of the God of Israelites upon having David as one of the descendants. The Talmuds also had some accounts that Eglon could be Balak’s grandson although there were no verses in the scriptures that would prove this claim.
Other Accounts on Eglon
In a Midrash legend, Eglon had two daughters named Orpah and Ruth. They were Moabite women who were mentioned in the Book of Ruth, although the same Midrash presented Eglon as Balak’s son. He was also in Numbers 22 as the King of Moab.
However, the story of the Moabite King Eglon was noted in the third chapter of the Book of Judges. According to Judges 3:12, God has sent King Eglon the power over evil as the Israelites disobeyed the Lord’s commands. In Judges 3:14, the people of Israel were under the rule of this king for a total of 18 years.
There were only a few accounts of this king, yet there were some narrations presented in Judges 3:17 where Eglon was described as a fat man. Although there were no accurate details on his weight, he was nonetheless described as one of the biggest men in his kingdom during his rule.
Although the Israelites were treated harshly and suffered greatly under this king’s rule, it was their fault that they experienced these conditions. It was only after they repented and turned back from their evil ways when God delivered them from their sufferings. Hence, in Judges 3:15, God sent the Israelites Ehud, who would serve as their deliverer. Ehud was from the tribe of Benjamin, and he freed Israel from the oppression of Eglon for a long period.
After Ehud had defeated Eglon, he went to Ephraim to blow his trumpet and commanded the Israelites to follow him and seek to regain possession of the Promised Land. Together, he and the Israelites were able to defeat as much as 10,000 Moabites. For a long period of 80 years, Moab was completely in peace upon being subjected to Israel..
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