During the time of the judges (roughly 1380–1050 BC), Israel was not a unified nation. There was no capital city, no standing army, and no central government. Each tribe managed its own territory, and people lived in small agricultural villages.
Most Israelites were farmers and shepherds. They grew wheat, barley, olives, and grapes. Families lived in simple stone houses, often with animals on the lower level and the family above. Women ground grain, baked bread, drew water, and made clothing from wool and flax.
Travel was dangerous — Judges 5:6 says people avoided the main roads during Shamgar's time. The Philistines controlled iron-working technology and even prevented Israel from having blacksmiths (1 Samuel 13:19), keeping them militarily weak. Life was hard, uncertain, and often frightening.
The Philistines had a monopoly on iron-working. Israelites had to go to the Philistines just to sharpen their farm tools! This kept Israel weak and dependent — making God's miraculous victories even more amazing.
One of the biggest problems during the judges was religious compromise. God had commanded Israel to drive out the Canaanite nations completely (Deuteronomy 7:1-4), but they didn't finish the job. Instead, they lived alongside the Canaanites — and gradually adopted their gods.
Canaanite religion was centered on Baal (the storm god) and Asherah/Ashtoreth (fertility goddess). Worship involved immoral practices and sometimes child sacrifice. Israel didn't abandon God overnight — they added Baal worship alongside worship of the true God, blending the two until the real thing was lost.
The tabernacle (God's dwelling place) was at Shiloh during this period, and the priesthood continued through Eli's family. But many Israelites set up their own shrines with homemade idols — like Micah in Judges 17 who created his own religion in his own house.
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Read each section and answer the questions correctly.