Great leaders have laid the solid foundation for the Jewish people. Abraham had strong beliefs. Jacob displayed super paternal instincts. And, Moses had a one of a kind intellect. Still, there is one great leader who does not receive quite the same respect as other forefathers. She is Deborah who should be considered the greatest Jewish general.

This paper will show how the battle at Mt. Tabor should elevate her to the greatness of our forefathers.

Just after the Israelites destroyed the city of Jericho and settled in the land of Israel, the Canaanites lead by Sisera attempted to retake Israel with a swift and powerful invasion. Sisera had at his disposal 900 chariots and 9,000 soldiers. His invasion called for his troops to start at the base of the Golan Heights in present day northwest Jordan and cut through the plains of the Galilee. From there, his army would head directly south through central Israel. No where in the Bible does it discuss Sisera's invasion route. However, it is safe to guess that he would take this path. Ever since Abraham, traders have taken this same route from central Israel, through the Sinai and eventually into Egypt. It is the same route that Abraham and Sarah used to travel to Egypt and the same highway that Jacob and his family traveled to settle in Egypt. A trade route is a country's life line and if an enemy can cut this route off, the enemy has essentially suffocated its opponent. This was Sisera's plan to quickly defeat the Israelites. Fortunately, the Israelites were lead by a very able person, Deborah, who saw the invasion coming. Her plan was to defend Israel at Mt. Tabor, a hill that overseas the entire Galilee region. It is a high point that intersects the trade route between Jordan and Egypt. Mt. Tabor is also a strategic point that intercepts the opponent's ability to communicate and supply its troops. An army that cannot supply or communicate loses its ability to command, control and fight. Even before the battle, Deborah is now faced with a major dilemma. She is a highly respected judge from the Naphtali tribe. Yet, she senses that the men would not want a woman to lead them. Deborah hears of an able general named Barak who at first was very reluctant to battle the Canaanites. When they meet, Deborah uses tremendous amount leadership skills to motivate Barak to join the cause. The conversation is legendary, yet does not by itself make Deborah one of the greatest Jewish leaders. Many prior (Joshua) and after (Dayan) have experienced similar situations. Great leaders are able to motivate, yet there is another factor about this war that makes Deborah one of the greatest.

From their base camp, the Canaanites quickly close upon Mt. Tabor. The Israelites are at the top of the hill and the Canaanites are at the foot. At this point, Sisera has two options. His troops could surround the Israelites in a similar manner that the Israelites encircled the residents of Jericho. Or, he could charge up the hill. As we recall Sisera charged. This tactic may not make sense because the Israelites were on top of a hill with no vegetation and water. All the Canaanites had to do was surround the Israelites who would have capitulated within a few days. Not quite. There were two sound military reasons for Sisera's decision to attack and not encircle the enemy. The Israelites were a weak nation which made it vulnerable to attack. The second reason for this charge centers on military economics 101. The 9,000 Canaanites were squaring off against the 10,000 Israelites representing the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. Being a smaller army, the Canaanites wanted a fast war and not a war of attrition. If they surrounded the Israelites, Sisera feared that the southern tribes would come to the aid of its northern brethren. The Canaanites would lose the initiative and fight a type of war that they were hoping to avoid. Sisera wisely charged up the mountain only to see his troops slaughtered by the ingenious trap that Deborah had planned.

The greatest are always the standard bearers. Moses is considered to be the greatest prophet because he established the laws that other prophets followed. If Moses is the greatest prophet, then Deborah should be considered the greatest Jewish general. For the first time in its history, the fledging Israelite nation was threatened by a formidable foe. The Jewish nation only succeeded thanks to the courage and smarts displayed by Deborah. It is also these same leadership traits that set the example for all future Jewish military leaders. Gideon selected the finest troops to defeat the Midianites. King David utilized his cunning to kill a clumsy Goliath. And, Moshe Dayan instilled his courage in battle to develop a modern well-disciplined Israeli Defense Force. All of these military generals might claim Julius Caesar, Napoleon or Alexander the Great as its role models. However, there are overlooking the obvious. Deborah set the example for all future Jewish military leaders. And, if she is the standard bearer, she should therefore be considered the greatest Jewish general.