As the pages of Biblical history turned from the great conquests of Joshua, a period of confusion and chaos fill the void of leadership. This period forms the content of the book of Judges. Thus the book of Judges records a historical record of sorts of the people of Israel during this stage in their development as a nation and a culture.
However, it is not so simple to evaluate the setting of Judges by studying the clear historical landmarks of the contents of the book directly. Instead, the reader must recognize that two cultural settings are in view and impact the tone and meaning of the book as a whole. The first and most obvious culture under view is that of the time period of the events described in the book directly.
Following the death of Moses, Joshua took the leadership reigns for the nation of Israel and led the people into the land that was promised. The long travel was complete but the battle for the land was just beginning. The book of Joshua records a series of battles and settlements as the people made the land their own.
Yet as battles were won and the land is apportioned to tribes, the people spread out and placed roots in the conquered cities and towns. Joshua served for many years as a central and strong leader with a network of helpers. Following the death of Joshua, no clear leader is established for the people. Joshua himself charges the people en masse to follow and serve God.
While Joshua makes clear in his closing charge that the people will not be prone to obey the law he describes, he does nothing to prepare them for the troubles or difficulties which lie ahead. Indeed, the closing words of the book of Joshua set the ominous tone for the setting of Judges. “So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.”
This “every man” motif not only sets the appropriate stage of Judges but serves as a grammatical bookmark throughout the book. With no clear leader, the nation become subject to the waves of power and national struggle. That lack of leadership was not confined only the nation itself but was mirrored by the region as a whole. Daniel Block mentions the lack of information regarding this time period found in the pages of Scripture. In addition as well, he adds that “exrabiblical sources for the period of the judges are scarce.” Since history in the ancient world was normally driven by singular leaders and kings, such a lack of documentation suggest a period both of frequent war and destruction but the marked absence of either a dominating nation or king.
This absence of leadership or power affected the region with numerous national strife events and oppression. The numerous socio-political groups or nations mentioned in the book of Judges reflect constant fighting and war. In addition, the nation of Israel found such strife internally as well including civil war of sorts. Herbert Wolf lists these conflicts in his description. “Ephraim was ravaged by Manasseh (ch. 12), and Benjamin was almost annihilated by the other tribes (chs. 20-21).”
In terms of religious views of the times, Judges itself reflects a people who were misled. The repeated habit of turning to God displays the truth that the people in general had a technical knowledge of the worship of the God. Block agrees by stating “although little is known about the practice of official national religion at this time, these data demonstrate that throughout the period of settlement the Israelite tribes retained a consciousness of their status as the people of Yahweh.”
What the people knew to be true at the time was however not often relevant. Their practice, rather than knowledge, was that of pursuing what is termed in Judges as “Baals and the Asherahs.” Baal specifically was the most well known god of the time and his connection to winter rain became symbolic of fertility. He is often found in connection with two other goddesses. Asherah who was considered to be the mother of Baal was one while Ashtoreth was the god of war and sex. Any extensive study into the premonarchial period of Israelite history should involve an extensive study of these gods and what they represent and how their worship impacted the cultures of the world.
In short however, the worship of these idols demonstrate a clear cultural emphasis. Worship of Baal and Asherah/Ashtoreth were a vital aspect of agricultural people groups at that time period of history. The desire for fertile crops, the source of wealth and prosperity, became the main religious focus. As the nation of Israel moved from a nomadic livestock driven people to a stable agricultural people, the absorption of the religious connections to that lifestyle became natural. It is necessary to see the religious struggles of Israel not merely as a worship failure, but a lifestyle and cultural development in conflict with God’s plan. Thus the leadership vacuum, civil war and religious apostasy set the key cultural stages upon which the drama of Judges would be played.
In addition as well, the second culture to be evaluated is of course that of the time period during which the book was written. This culture is less important in understanding the stories but far more important to understand the intended meaning and inclusion of the stories. It is only from this view of the writing world that one can grasp the functional importance and appreciation for the message of the book of Judges.
The general consensus regarding the writing of the book of Judges is during the timeframe of Israel when the nation was unified under one king. The impetus for this dating centers on both the tone of the book and the frequent references to the time being without a king. Such a comment would suggest that the original reader would understand the contrast. More specific dating is difficult although some commentators suggest an early Davidic reign due to the mention of Jerusalem belonging to the Jebusites in 1:21.
The significance of this date would be greatly meaningful to the specific occasion of this book. Prior to the conquest of Jerusalem, David was not fully accepted as king over all of Israel. After the death of Saul, David was made king of Judah publically. However, 2 Samuel 3 records an ongoing war between the family of Saul and David. David ruled at this time from the city of Hebron. It is not until after the conquest of Jerusalem that one can see a clear kingdom for David emerging. “At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.” Thus the key cultural aspect of the timeframe of the writing of Judges is the gradual movement toward a secure king and nation.
While God has recognized David as king, the people of Israel as a whole have completely accepted neither that kingship nor God’s involvement in the affairs of Israel. With this in mind, one can clearly see the overarching emphasis of the book of Judges. It becomes of sorts a political campaign for the people to support David and pursue God. The anonymous author makes clear that the alternative to a God fearing leader is chaos and violence. Instead, by accepting and following God and his appointed servant, the people of Israel can expect blessing and security. It is upon these cultural settings that one must approach and understand the book of Judges.
