The Judges

Samson is one of the most recognizable of the judges who ruled over Israel before the time of the kings.
He was a Nazarite, yet broke many rules of the Nazarite vow. God gifted Samson with incredible
strength, but he lost his strength when Delilah betrayed him to the Philistines, who blinded and
enslaved him. At the end of his life, God restored Samson's strength.

Gideon was the son of Joash, from the Abiezrite clan in the tribe of Manasseh and lived in Ephra
(Ophrah).[2] As a leader of the Israelites, he won a decisive victory over a Midianite army despite a vast
numerical disadvantage, leading a troop of 300 'valiant' men.[3]Gideon was a judge over Israel. Although
the Bible describes him as timid, Gideon is known as the greatest of all the 15 judges.

Deborah is one of the most influential women of the Bible. As a prophet, Judge Deborah was said to
hear God's voice and share God’s Word with others. As a priestess, she did not offer sacrifices, as the
men did, but she did lead worship services and preach.According to the Book of Judges, Deborah was a
prophetess of the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel and the only female
judge mentioned in the Bible, and the wife of Lapidoth.

Joshua was one of the twelve spies of Israel sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan. In Numbers
13:1–16, and after the death of Moses, he led the Israelite tribes in the conquest of Canaan, and
allocated the land to the tribes. ... Joshua also holds a position of respect among Muslims.

Samuel grew in wisdom and became a prophet. Following a great Philistine victory over the Israelites,
Samuel became a judge and rallied the nation against the Philistines at Mizpah. He established his house
at Ramah, riding a circuit to various cities where he settled the people's disputes.Unfortunately,
Samuel's sons, Joel and Abijah, who had been delegated to follow him as judges, were corrupt, so the
people demanded a king. Samuel listened to God and anointed the first king of Israel, a tall, handsome
Benjaminite named Saul.

Eli in the Bible was a Jewish priest living in the days of the judges and serving God at the tabernacle in
Shiloh, a city near the hill country of Ephraim (1 Samuel 1:1, 3). Eli is best remembered for his blessing
on Samuel’s mother and for his part in Samuel’s first prophecy.

The terms Major Prophets and Minor Prophets are simply a way to divide the Old Testament prophetic
books. The Major Prophets are:
-Isaiah -Lamentations -Daniel
-Jeremiah -Ezekiel

The Minor Prophets are:

-Hosea -Obadiah -Nahum -Haggai
-Joel -Jonah -Habakkuk -Zechariah
-Amos -Micah -Zephaniah -Malachi

The Minor Prophets are also sometimes called The Twelve.

The Major Prophets are described as “major” because their books are longer and the content has broad,
even global implications. The Minor Prophets are described as “minor” because their books are shorter
(although Hosea and Zechariah are almost as long as Daniel) and the content is more narrowly focused.
That does not mean the Minor Prophets are any less inspired than the Major Prophets. It is simply a
matter of God choosing to reveal more to the Major Prophets than He did to the Minor Prophets.