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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 January 2025
The Song of Deborah is, then, commonly judged —and on good grounds—to be contemporary with the event which it celebrates. At moments of intense feeling, poetry not too burdened by rules, far from being an artificial, is, on the contrary, a most natural form of expression ; certainly at such times it comes readily to the lips of spontaneous peoples such as the Semites. As the occasion, so is the form ; David’s grief, for example, over the death of Saul and Jonathan produces his poetical lament as given in 2 Samuel 1. 19 ff. A most interesting parallel to the occasion and form of the Song of Deborah is provided by an incident which occurred only some thirty years ago at Madaba, a village a few miles east of the Dead Sea. The Arab tribe of the ‘Azeizât which had settled at Madaba was attacked by another Arab tribe, the Beni Sakher. The ‘Azeizât had hardly succeeded in repelling the attack before their women had composed odes to honour those who had braved, and to stigmatize those who had shirked, the perils of the fight.
It is something of that kind that we have here. It is not an epic poem depicting the exploits of bygone heroes, nor simply a song of thanksgiving for some former striking divine intervention. The poet praises and blames, blesses and curses, and he does so because the objects of his blessings and of his cursings are there before him acting on him ; he sings because he must.
* Cf. Lagrange, op. cit., p. 105, and Revue Bibligue, 1895, p. 165.
* A good description in G. A. Smith's Historical Geography of the Holy Land, Chap. II.
* The plain of Esdraelon, for instance, played an important part in the rout of the Turks by General Allenby. His cavalry were able to gallop northwards along the Maritime Plain into the Plain of Esdraelon and cut off the Turks who were retreating along the top of the Central Range.
* Historical Sketches, Vol. I, p. 197.
† How necessary for tribal life these journeyings still are we see from Père Jaussen’s observations on the present day Arabs to the east of the Dead Sea : “ The nomad is a great traveller ; the continual changes of camp are one cause of this, but the necessity of knowing the roads, and of keeping in touch with the neighbouring tribes is a much more powerful motive. Knowledge of the country is indispensable to anyone who wishes to exercise influence in his tribe : he requires it in order to fix a camp, direct a raid, organize an expedition, carry help to a friend in distress. . . . Besides knowing the country the intelligent nomad must be in touch with the notable men of the neighbouring tribes. An insight into their character is indispensable to him for the security of the tribe and the maintenance of alliances. With this aim the young bedouin undertakes a visit to the different neighbouring camps, gets into touch with the sheikhs, is present in the tent at the meetings which are always public” (Coutumes des Arabes au pays de Moab, p. 281).
* Père Vincent, Canaan, p. 463.