As our class discussion highlighted, this document of national history focuses on the character of the judges, the "deliverers," who rescue Israel from its own misdeeds.  Of the 13 individuals who are identified as judges, only one, Deborah, is a woman.  But even women who are not given the title of "judge" play significant, decisive roles in facilitating the nation's deliverance.  This group exercise is designed to identify the nature of these women characters.

Choose one member of the group to record the group's consensus on the white board.   Please use your time effectively so your group is ready to present during the last 20 minutes of class.

First, read the verses assigned to your group aloud.

• Study 1:  Deborah--4.1-16
• Study 2:  Jael--4.17-24
• Study 3:  Song of Deborah--5.1-18
• Study 4:  Song of Deborah/Jael--5.19-31
• Study 5:  Jephthah's Daughter--11.29-40
• Study 6:  The Levite's Concubine--19.22-30

• Based on the verses, what kind of woman is this character?
• What action does she perform?
• What skills does she rely on to perform this action?
• What part does the action play in the nation's deliverance?
• How does the genre of the verses--prose or poetry--affect the presentation of the character?
• What is the narrator's opinion of the character?