Omer 2016 Day 25: The woman who killed Abimelech

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Day 25: Netzach in Netzach, Eternity in Victory

"Abimelech pressed forward to the tower and attacked it. He approached the door of the tower to set it on fire. But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and cracked his skull." (Judges 9:52-53)

Dying from his cracked skull, Abimelech asked one of his men to kill him, saying, "Let them not say 'A woman killed him.'" (Judges 9:53)

In spite of his best efforts, however, Abimelech failed and the story of his death at the hands of a woman became a cautionary tale for future armies, as David's army commander Joab noted, "Who struck down Abimelech son of Jerubbesherth? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall at Thebez, from which he died?" (2 Samuel 11:23)

This woman, who was unfortunately unnamed, gained eternal fame by ending Abimelech's reign of terror.