The Iron Age commenced in Israel during the days of the judges…the Philistines already had something of a monopoly of iron metallurgy…. Iron was much harder and more durable than bronze or copper, and its manufacture took greater technological skill than the Israelites possessed. By contrast, their enemies possessed metal weapons, particularly iron weapons. The Israelites used mostly “primitive” weapons, such as farm implements and household articles, and had few metal weapons.

These two lists of weapons reveal a striking contrast between Israel and her enemies. Clearly weapons were in short supply, at least for the Israelites, an interpretation which is supported by the lists of weapons mentioned in Judges. With this information, we can discuss the weapons and warfare described in the book of Judges, where we read “…not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel” (Judges 5:8). An armour-bearer or shield-bearer could also be employed to carry the soldier’s weapons and his shield. The foot soldier also carried a shield to cover any unprotected parts of his body. Armour included the helmet for the head, scale armour, coats of mail, the breastplate for the body and greaves to cover the shins. Examples of long-range weapons include the sling, used to hurl stones, and the bow, for propelling arrows.Īrmour was used to protect the foot soldier’s body as far as possible. Long-range weapons could be thrown or fired at an enemy further away. Occasionally spears were light enough to be thrown, but the shorter and lighter javelin was better suited for throwing. Medium-range weapons were designed to be thrown at enemies a short distance away. Short-range weapons were used in hand-to-hand combat and included the sword or dagger and the spear. Offensive weapons in use at this time can be divided into three categories according to their range. Yet we have a good knowledge of weapons from archaeological discoveries and drawings, paintings and reliefs. The Bible does not usually give a detailed description of weapons or of military strategy. What weapons did these heroes use, and what was their strategy in defeating their enemies? These heroes were known as “judges”, meaning, not people who decided court cases, but military leaders who delivered Israel from her enemies. Because the conquest was not complete, warfare was frequent, and resulted in the hero stories preserved in Judges. The book of Judges describes the period when the Israelites were settling into the Promised Land following the Exodus from Egypt. The Bible: Weapons and Warfare in Ancient Israelīy James Moyer, Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Religious Studies, Southwest Missouri State University.

Ancient warfare 2 gate