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Bible People  -  Deborah 

Film Quiz Can you name these films about women who fight back? Answers HERE

Any others?

Extra Websites

Ancient Warfare - Sisera's fearsome weapons   Chariots

Deborah, Jael and Sisera's mother  - three powerful women
Bible Women: Deborah and Jael

Hazor, the city of King Jabin, Deborah's mortal enemy
Bible Archaeology: Cities 

The Army, Battles and Weapons in ancient Israel
Bible Archaeology: War 

Barak, one of the Top Ten Bible warriors - the mud-stained soldier
Top Ten Warriors: Barak 

The tent where Jael hid and then murdered the enemy general Sisera 
Bible Architecture - Housing 

The murder of Sisera - don't trust a woman bearing curds
Top Ten Murders

Or something completely different?  Deborah's Battle Plan, Maps, Tactics

             Activities

                  for individuals or groups

Discussion
The stories of Jael and the young King David are similar in several ways. Yet there is a great difference between the fame of David and Jael. Everyone knows the story of David and Goliath, (see Bible Men and Women: David for the story),  but few people have heard of Jael.

• Discuss in groups why this might be so.

• Share your group’s opinions with other groups.

• List the reasons in order of priority.

Women in films about war
(group or single activity)

Stage 1:  Make up a list

List some films about women in war. You can choose recent films or classics like Rome, Open City or Two Women. If this is a group activity, choose films most people know. 

'Two Women'

Stage 2:  Glance over your list

1.  Have you chosen films that are realistic, or do you prefer films that are inspiring/uplifting?
2.  Is war too grim a subject to depict truthfully in a film?
3.  Do you have favorites that are both realistic and inspiring? 
4.  What does this say about you and what you find most satisfying in a story?

Stage 3:  Choose the film you like best 
4.  What are the central relationships in this film? 
5.  Is the relationship shown in a realistic light? 
6.  Do any of the scenes remind you of your own life or experiences? You may not have experienced war itself, but you may know what it's like to be on the Home Front, or even to be a bystander when there is conflict in your family or community.

Stage 4:  Think about your choices

Group activity: discuss these questions, making sure everyone in the group has a chance to talk about their ideas.

Single activity: sit down for a few minutes and focus your mind; make a quick list of your favorites; read through the Stage 3 questions, and think about them as you do other tasks in your day.

Comparing the stories
The story of Jael is told in prose (Judges 4) and poetry (Judges 5). Find passages from both accounts that describe the same incident.

• What are the main differences that you see?

• Which of the two forms is the more effective?

Warfare in ancient times

Heavy wheeled chariots carrying an archer and a driver; Sisera used similar chariots.  Notice the large hunting dog running alongside;  these were especially trained for battle

Research methods of warfare in the period of the Judges - see for example
 Bible Archaeology: War . Find information on

• the types of weapons used at the time

• different methods of fighting

• the size and organization of armies

• the topographic layout of the site of Deborah and Barak’s battle.

Try where possible to present your information visually, using maps, drawings, models, etc. What lessons can we learn from Deborah's approach to the battle?

In depth study of one person's story

Jael and Sisera; Artemia Gentileschi

Choose one of the people in this story and develop a presentation about them.
The presentation should include 
 *  a supporting image/picture/painting of each person 
 *  a map of Israel showing the cities and areas where the story took place.  
You may call up other websites to support your ideas.

In your presentation, answer the following questions:

1. What are the main events of the person's life? Tell the story.

2. What were their main qualities? What made them stand out from the crowd?

3. What obstacles did they face? Did they overcome them, or go with the flow? Explain.

4. How did they use their abilities to do God’s work?  

5. Which part of their story appeals to you most? Why?

Include three short quotations from the Bible to illustrate the points you are making. 

Drawing a cartoon
Collect examples of modern satirical cartoons about war and fighting. How do they make fun of the person/situation they are depicting? 

Using modern cartoons as your example, draw 

• a cartoon that shows the scorn of the Israelites, and the glee in the Song of Deborah after the Canaanites lost the battle, or

• your opinion of a current political situation.

Focus Questions

The Oracle at Delphi

1. What are the most interesting moments in Deborah's story?
2. In the story, who acts? Who gets what they want? If you were in the story, which person would you want to be friends with? Which person would you want to avoid?
3. What is God's interaction with the main character? What does this tell you about the narrator's image of God? Do you agree with this image?
4. What is happening on either side of the story, in the chapters before and after it? Does this help you understand the story?
5. The narrator/editor has chosen to tell some things and leave other things out. What has been left out of the story that you would like to know?
6. Are the characteristics and actions of the people in the story still present in the world? How is the story relevant to modern life, especially your own?

Extra Websites  in the left column have background information and ideas.

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