Jephtha

Jephthah
Jephthah, depicted here in Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum of Guillaume Rouillé
Born	11th century BCE
Died	11th century BCE
Predecessor	Jair
Successor	Ibzan

Jephthah (pronounced /ˈdʒɛfθə/; Hebrew: יפתח‎‎ Yip̄tāḥ), appears in the Book of Judges as a judge over Israel for a period of six years (Judges 12:7). According to Judges, he lived in Gilead. His father's name is also given as Gilead and, as his mother is described as a prostitute, this may mean that his father may have been any of the men of that area. Jephthah led the Israelites in battle against Ammon and, after defeating the Ammonites, made a rash vow to sacrifice whatever would come out of the door of his house first. As his daughter exited the house, he immediately regretted the vow, which would mean sacrificing his daughter to God. Because of the ambiguity of the text, it is disputed whether or not this vow was carried out. Traditionally, Jephthah is listed among major judges on the ground of the length of the biblical narrative referring to him, but his story also shares commonalities with the minor judges, for instance only six years duration of his office as judge.

The story of Jephthah is found in the Old Testament Book of Judges, chapters 11–12. The Israelites "again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord ... they forsook the Lord and did not serve him. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites ...".

Jephthah, having been born illegitimately, is driven out by his half-brothers and takes up his dwelling in Tob, east of Gilead. "Outlaws collected around Jephthah and went raiding with him." The elders of Gilead ask him to be their leader in the campaign against the Ammonites, but he holds out for a more permanent and a broader position, and the elders agree that, provided Jephthah succeeds in defeating Ammon, he will be their permanent chieftain. On behalf of Israel as a whole and in reliance on the might of God the Judge, Jephthah challenges the Ammonites. Jephthah swears an oath: