In the OT Debir Is described as in the moun- tains of Judah, like Socoh and Eshtemoh (Jos 15 "■"), and not far from Hebron, from whence Caleb 'went up' to it (v.''). It was in 'the Negeb' of Judah, and near it were 'the upper springs and the nether springs ' of water. After lea\'ing Lacb- ish (Tell el-Hesy) and Eglon (Tell en-Nejilehl), Joshua marched to Hebron, and then ' returned ' to Debir (Jos lu"). Unfortunately, these passages do not enable us to fix the exact position of the city, though the expression 'went up' may imply that it lay to the north. This would certainly have been the case if it is the same as the Beth- eani of the Tel el-Amama tablet. The identifica- tion with the modem Dhaheriyeh (from Arab. dhahr, ' back ') rests upon a mistaken interpreta- tion of the name of Debir : Petrie found there no traces of anything older than the Roman period.
Debir was taken by Othniel the Kenizzite, in return for which Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah in marriage (Jos IS'"-", Jg 1"-'"). There must consequently be some error in the text of Jos lO*"-'*, where it is said that Joshua had already taken Debir, and destroyed all its inhabit- ants. Moreover, the city of Debir is not men- tioned among the confederates in vv.'-°, where, on the contrary, Debir is stated to be the king of Eglon.
2. Debir (Jos 13«). The border of Debir (or Lidebir) is stated to have formed part of the frontiers of Gad, not far from Malianaim. If the reading Lidebir is accepted, the place may perhaps be identified with Lodebar of 2 S 9''.
3. Debir in Jos 15' is described as in the direction of the north-eastern comer of Judah, towards the valley of Achor and Gilgal. The Sept. however, reads irl tA Th-a/nor ttjs <pdpayyoi 'Axup, and the Vulg. has Debera. Ace. to Hupfeld (Ps 28») and Wellh. (Sam. 146 n.) .tj-si here = westward. A. H. Sayce.
DEBORAH (T!\3'i 'a bee'). — 1. The nurse of Rebekah, died on Jacob's return to Can., and was buried under the terebinth (' Allon-bacuth ') below Bethel (Gn SS* E). 2. The heroine of the great battle by the Kishon in which Sisera and his allies were defeated (Jg 4 and 5). After a period of oppression and insecurity, which had lasted since the days of Shamgar (Jg5'), and had fallen heavily upon tne tribes bordering on the plain of Jezreel, D., a woman of martial and determined spirit, together with Barak, resolved to free their people from the aggressions of the Canaanites. Issachar, their tribe (Jg 5"), had been the principal suH'erer, but could not cope with the enemy unaided. Accordingly, the summons was sent round to all
* A full discussion of the meaning of the name Is ^ven by Moore (Jvdget, p. ii ff.X who formerly connected TEO in TDD p with Aramaic T?p 'border, frontier.' Kiriatb-sepber would on this etjTnolo^ be ' Frontier-town,' a suitable enough meaninpr. But for phonetic diflicuUies that st*nd in the way Moore has sow abandoned this derivation.
the tribes,* claiming their assistance in the cause of J" the national God. Ephraim, Benjamin, West Manasseh, Zebulun, Naphtali, with their chiefs, rallied round Issachar ; Reuben, Gilead ( = Gad), Dan, andAsher refused to respond (Jg 5"""). For the first time after the settlement in Canaan the tribes of Isr. acted in something like a national capacity ; it was the genius and courage of D. that instigated this united action. To meet the Isr. conf ederation,the kings of Canaan, under the leader- ship of Sisera, marched to the attack ; the battle took place in the neighbourhood of Taanach and Megiddo, along the right bank of the Kishon (Jg 5"). A great storm came on, and the swollen torrent worked havoc among the Can. forces, so that it seemed as if the powers of nature were fighting against them (Jg 5'"'*') ; Sisera had to seek safety in flight. A woman had successfully initiated the war, and a woman brought it to a victorious conclusion. Jael, by a bold stratagem, slew Sisera with a shattering blow from a tent- mallet as he stood drinking in her tent (Jg 5**"").
Such is the history of the event which has made D. famous among the women of the Bible, as it may be gathered from the song in Jg 5. This splendid ode was prob. not written by D. herself ; the verbs in v."" are to be rendered by the 2nd pers. rather than by the 1st ; cf. v.'^. V.' merely says, ' then sang D. and Barak,' a remark due to the later editor. But the song may well be the work of a contemporary, as its style and contents suggest ; it may claim, therefore, to be the highest authority for the events which it records.
Another account, a prose version, is contained in chapter 4. The two accounts agree in the main features, but exhibit considerable difl'erences in detail. In 4'''*' D. is styled both prophetess and judge, while her seat is ' under the palm-treeof D., Detween Kamah and Bethel, in the hill country of Ephraim,' whither the children of Israel resorted for judgment.
It is here implied that her authority had been long established, and that it extended over Israel ('she was judging Israel at that time,' 4*). This generalization of her position reflects the theory of the compiler of Judges — a late writer.f Furtner, her seat is placed in the S., in the territory of Benjamin, far from the area of the troubles. This necessitates distant negotiations with Barak, and introduces serious difficulties into the narrative. It is possible that D.'s connexion with Ramah and Bethel may be due to a confusion based on Gn 35", for which, again, the compiler may be responsible. We may conclude from 4*"' that her home was somewhere near Kadesh, the city of Barak ; J thus both would belong to Issachar (as 5'°), the chief suiierer under the oppression. See Barak.