Episode 99: A genocide and 200 stolen virgins

Judges 21

21 ¹ The men of Israel had swore in Mizpeh, saying,

None of us will give our daughters to the Benjaminites for wives.

² And all the people came to the house of God and wept, saying,

God, why has this happened?

Why is there one tribe lacking in Israel?

The next morning they built an altar and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings.

⁴ Then they said,

⁵ Who among the tribes of Israel didn't fight against Benjamin?

⁸ Who didn't come to God's meeting in Mizpeh?

And behold, no one from Jabesh-gilead came to that meeting.

¹⁰ So the congregation sent 12,000 of their valiantest men and commanded them, saying,

Go kill all the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead, including the women and children. But keep the virgin women alive.

¹² So they killed everyone in Jabshgilead, except for 400 young virgins, which they brought them to Shiloh.

¹³ Then they sent messengers to the surviving men of Benjamin at the rock Rimmon.

¹⁴ And they gave the 400 virgins from Jabesh-gilead.

¹⁶ Then the elders of the congregation said,

We are still 200 virgins short.

Where can we find 200 more virgins for the men of Benjamin, since we killed all of their women?

¹⁸ We can't give them our daughters, since we swore that whoever among us who did that would be cursed.

¹⁹ Then they said, "There's a yearly feast in Shiloh!"

²⁰ So they commanded the men of Benjamin, saying,

²¹ Go hide in the vineyards, and when the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance, capture them and make them your wives.

²³ So the men of Benjamin captured the young dancing women, returned to their land, and rebuilt their cities.

²⁴ And all of the Israelites went home.

²⁵ In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.