Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Jael
References
Britannica AI Icon

Jael

biblical figure
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Jael was a biblical figure known for her pivotal role in the Israelite victory over the Canaanites, as recounted in the Book of Judges. She was the wife of Heber the Kenite, who was at peace with Jabin, the king of Hazor. During a battle, the Canaanite commander Sisera fled and sought refuge in Jael's tent. Jael offered him milk, and once he was asleep, she drove a tent peg through his temple, killing him. This act fulfilled a prophecy by Deborah, an Israelite judge and prophet, that a woman would be glorified in the victory over Sisera. The "Song of Deborah" in the Bible commemorates this event and is considered one of the oldest passages in the Old Testament.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. Deborah
  2. biblical literature - The roles of Deborah, Gideon, and Jephthah

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.