1After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of YHVH, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?”
2“Judah shall go up,” answered YHVH. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.”
3Then the men of Judah said to their brothers the Simeonites, “Come up with us to our allotted territory, and let us fight against the Canaanites. And we likewise will go with you to your territory.” So the Simeonites went with them.
4When Judah attacked, YHVH delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. 5And there they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, striking down the Canaanites and Perizzites.
6As Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7Then Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.
The Capture of Jerusalem and Hebron (Joshua 15:13–19)
8Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire. 9Afterward, the men of Judah marched down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the foothills.a
10Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (formerly known as Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11From there they marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).
Judges 1:1-11
The Hyksos ruler Maibre Sheshi, whose nomen appears on numerous MBA scarabs from southern [Canaan] (and in Tomb H13 at Jericho), is to be identified with the biblical king Sheshai of Hebron who was forced to flee from his homeland because of recent invasion of the Israelite tribes from the east circa 1410 BC. The archaeological concentration of Sheshai scarabs at Tell el-Ajjul in southern coastal [Canaan] indicated healed to Sharuhen.