JUDGES, BOOK OF. The Book of Judges in the Hebrew Canon of the Old Testament (see CANON, i.) is grouped with the books described as •the " Former Prophets." It purports to deal historically with a period embracing more than three centuries. The Judges were heroes who arose from time to time to lead the Israelite tribes against their enemies, and whose success resulted in their becoming judicial rulers and in a sense the fore runners of the Israelite monarchs. The Hebrew word for these and other judges is Shcifetinz. It has been pointed out by G. F. Moore, C. H. H. Wright, and others that the same word (Suffetes) was used in Oarthage, a Phoenician colony, of rulers there (Livy, Hist. xxx. 7), who were sometimes called also by the Romans reges, consules, and dictators. The Book of Judges divides itself into four sections. The first (chap. i. 1-11. 5), which is introductory, describes the conquest 9f Canaan after the death of Joshua (see JOSHUA. BOOK). It is really an old account of the conquest; it differs from that of the Book of Joshua and represents that the con quest was made, not simultaneously by all the tribes acting together under the leadership of Joshua, but gradually by individual tribes acting Independently. The second section (chap. ii. 6-fti. 6) has been described as a Prelude to the history, " a moralising summary " (Whitehouse) of the story that is to follow. The third section (chap. iii. 7-xvi. 31), which is "the real kernel of the history," recounts the adventures of twelve judges. The chief of these were Othniel, Ehud, Deborah (with Barak), Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. The minor judges were Shamgar, Tola and Jair, Ibzan. Elon, and Abdon. In chapter 9 a story is introduced which describes how one Abimelech became " king " of the Canaanite town, Shechem. The story has been regarded by some scholars as " a kind of prelude to the history of the kingdom of Saul " (Moore). But as Prof. Moore says, Abimelech was simply king of a town of the Canaanites, among whom the city-kingdom was a common form of government. " That he was also recognized as king by
purely Israelite towns or clans is not intimated, and is not a necessary inference from the fact that be has the Israelites at his back in his effort to suppress the revolt of the Canaanite cities (955)." The fourth section of the book (chaps. xvii.-xxi.) is of the nature of an appendix or a supplement. It tells the adventures (xvii.-xviii) of a man named Micah who had an image and priest, a Levite, of his own. These were carried off by the Danites. It tells further (xix.-xxi.) of a war between the Israelites and the Benjamites, in which the latter were nearly exterminated. The Book of Judges is com posite. In the sixth century B.C. a Deuteronomistic author (D) would seem to have composed a " History of Israel under the Judges." From this are derived chapters ii. 6-xvi. 31. This writer (D) obtained his in formation about the Judges from a work known as the " Prophetical Writings " or JE. This in turn was com posed in the seventh century B.C. by an author or com piler (RJE) who made use of two early narratives, a " Judaic History" (J. ninth century B.C.) and an " Ephraimite History " (E, somewhat later). The author of the present Book of Judges after the Exile supplemented D's work by adding from JE Judg. 1. 1-ii. 5 and chapters xvii.-xviii., xix.-xxi. As regards the chronology of the Judges, Whitehouse points out that " there is nothing to forbid the assumption that some (e.g., Samson and Jephtbah, Barak , and Ehud) ruled contemporaneously." Unless we assume this, the period between the Exodus and Solomon would exceed the length (4S0 years) given in the First Book of Kings (vi. 1). See G. F. Moore, Judges (1895) in the I.C.C., and The Book of Judges (1898) in the " Sacred Books of the Old Testa ment " (Engl.); C. H. H. Wright, Intr.; G. H. Box; O. C. Whitehouse.