1375 BC
The period of the Judges (approximately 1375-1050 BC) was a time of spiritual decline and political fragmentation in Israel's history. After Joshua's death, the next generation 'did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel' (Judges 2:10). The people turned to idolatry, serving the Baals and the gods of the Canaanites whom they had failed to drive out. The Lord's anger burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of oppressorsβthe Moabites, the Ammonites, the Midianites, the Philistines, and others.
The cycle of the Judges follows a repeating pattern: Israel sins, God delivers them into the hands of enemies, Israel cries out in distress, God raises up a judge (a deliverer empowered by His Spirit), the judge delivers Israel, and there is peace during the judge's lifetimeβonly for the cycle to repeat after the judge dies. This pattern demonstrates both the stubbornness of human sinfulness and the faithfulness of God's mercy.
The Book of Judges ends with the sobering observation: 'In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes' (Judges 21:25). This moral and political vacuum would ultimately lead the people to demand a king, setting the stage for the united monarchy. Key Scripture: Judges 2:10-19; 21:25; Sirach 46:1-4; CCC 68