Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/256

 242 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

their army, under the command of Sisera, in the great Plain of Esdraelon. On the other hand, the IsraeHtes, inspired by the prophetess Deborah, who sang of their common faith in Yahweh the war-god, began to muster on Mount Tabor. The hill of Tabor, standing a few miles east of Nazareth, looks down upon the plain from its northern approach. It rises from the end of a ridge that goes back toward Galilee. The fighting men of Israel, gathered on the flat top of Tabor, could see the signs of Canaanite activity in the plain below ; and they waited for the signal to rush down upon the enemy. Deborah's war song in Judg., chap. 5., implies that the season was winter. At this time the river Kishon overflows its banks, and converts a part of the Plain of Esdraelon into a morass. It is not probable that the Canaanites would have chosen this place as a winter battlefield; but it was a convenient mustering ground, central in location, through which many an army has marched. Abruptly descending from Tabor, in the midst of a rain-storm, the Israelite host of ten thousand rushed upon the army of Sisera. The Canaanites broke in confusion and fled, their horses and chariots floundering in the muddy plain.^^ Sisera himself left his chariot and fled afoot, only to meet death at the hands of Jael, a Kenite woman, who was true to the covenant between her people and Israel at Mount Sinai. In the excitement of the day, it was declared that Yahweh himself had left his throne on Sinai, and come riding on a thunder-cloud to the help of Israel. Study of this battle helps to fix in mind the social geography of Canaan during the period covered by the Book of Judges. The date of the battle is not known ; but it probably took place within a few years after the first settlements. Its effect was to confirm the title of the Israelite clans to the farms and pasture lands which they had seized in the open country. As the Israel- ites were this time on the defensive, they made no attempt to

ancient war-song of Deborah speaks of the enemies of Israel as the kings of Canaan (vs. 19). Sisera here comes forward as a leading Canaanite king, and not as captain of the army of the mythical Jabin.

"It is interesting to note that in 1799 the Turkish cavalry met with the same fate, in the same place, when pursued by the army of Napoleon.