Abimelech

Abimelech was a king of Shechem who rose to power through questionable means. He was one of many sons of Gideon, a judge of Israel. After Gideon's death, Abimelech conspired with the citizens of Shechem, who were worshippers of Baal-berith, to kill his seventy brothers. He then declared himself king over Shechem.1

However, his reign was short-lived and marked by rebellion. Jotham, Gideon's youngest son who escaped Abimelech's massacre, told a parable illustrating the destructive nature of Abimelech's rule. True to the parable, Abimelech's kingship led to conflict. He was eventually wounded by a millstone thrown by a woman during a siege of Thebez, and he died shortly after, his attempt to establish a monarchy proving premature. Shechem itself was an ancient Canaanite city strategically located in a pass between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.12