Story · 3 · Deborah
Israel's oldest anthem has no king
The Song of Deborah celebrates a victory led by God and 'a mother in Israel.' No king appears anywhere.
If a people formed before kings, it can survive after them.
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The song lists ten northern tribes and leaves out Judah. Rather than reflecting a pre-monarchic society, it was likely composed around the fall of the northern kingdom in 722 BCE, imagining a past people united without a monarchy.
Bible reference: Judges 5:7
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 54–56
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