Gideon of Judges 6–8 was regarded by the "critical school" as a composite narrative, combining Jahwist, Elohist and Deuteronomic sources, with further interpolations and editorial comments of the Second Temple period. Emil Hirsch alleged a historical nucleus in the narrative, reflecting the struggle of the tribe of Manasseh with hostile Bedouins across the Jordan, along with "reminiscences of tribal jealousies on the part of Ephraim" in the early period of Hebrew settlement, later conflated with the religious context of connecting Yahweh with the shrine at Ophrah. The core (Jahwist) narrative consists of Gideon wishing to avenge the death of his brothers,
Abdon (Judges) reign. Abdon (Judges) Abdon (Hebrew: עַבְדּוֹן "‘Aḇdōn", "servile" or "service"), was the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, and was the twelfth JUDGE Judge of Israel mentioned in the Book of Judges (Judges 12:13-15). He was a member of the tribe of Ephraim, and in the biblical account was credited with having forty sons and thirty grandsons. He is assumed to have been wealthy, since he provided donkeys for his 70 sons and grandsons. He judged Israel for eight years. He was buried on Ephraimite land, in Pirathon, in the hill-country of the Amalekites. Josephus also mentions that Abdon had a