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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0;"/><title>Topical Bible: The Tower of Thebez</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_tower_of_thebez.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/newtopical.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/topical/vmenus/judges/9-50.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/bmcde/t/tower.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/topical/">Topical</a> > The Tower of Thebez</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/topical/t/the_tower_of_the_ovens.htm" title="The Tower of the Ovens">◄</a> The Tower of Thebez <a href="/topical/t/the_tower_that_juts_out.htm" title="The Tower that Juts Out">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse">Jump to: <a href="#sub" title="Subtopics">Subtopics</a> • <a href="#rel" title="Related Terms">Terms</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><a name="te" id="te"></a><div class="vheading2">Topical Encyclopedia</div>The Tower of Thebez is a significant structure mentioned in the Old Testament, specifically in the Book of Judges. Thebez was a city in ancient Israel, and its tower played a crucial role in the narrative of Abimelech, a son of Gideon, who sought to establish himself as king over Israel.<br><br><b>Biblical Account</b><br><br>The account of the Tower of Thebez is found in <a href="/judges/9-50.htm">Judges 9:50-57</a>. After Abimelech's violent rise to power, which included the massacre of his seventy brothers, he continued his campaign to consolidate control over the region. The city of Thebez was one of his targets. <a href="/judges/9-50.htm">Judges 9:50-51</a> states, "Then Abimelech went to Thebez, encamped against it, and captured it. But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men and women—the entire population of the city—fled to it. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower."<br><br>The tower served as a refuge and a last line of defense for the inhabitants of Thebez. It was a common practice in ancient cities to have a fortified tower where people could seek protection during sieges.<br><br><b>The Death of Abimelech</b><br><br>The narrative reaches its climax when Abimelech approaches the tower to set it on fire, intending to destroy the people inside. However, his plan is thwarted in a dramatic turn of events. <a href="/judges/9-52.htm">Judges 9:52-53</a> recounts, "When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire. But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull."<br><br>This unexpected act by an unnamed woman led to Abimelech's demise. Realizing his fatal injury, Abimelech called to his armor-bearer to kill him with a sword, so it would not be said that a woman had killed him. <a href="/judges/9-54.htm">Judges 9:54</a> records, "He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, 'Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’' So his armor-bearer ran him through, and he died."<br><br><b>Theological and Moral Implications</b><br><br>The account of the Tower of Thebez and the death of Abimelech is rich with theological and moral lessons. It serves as a vivid illustration of the biblical principle that God opposes the proud and brings justice to the wicked. Abimelech's ambition and ruthless actions ultimately led to his downfall, fulfilling the curse pronounced by Jotham, the only surviving brother of Abimelech, who had warned the people of Shechem about the consequences of their choice to follow Abimelech (<a href="/judges/9-7.htm">Judges 9:7-20</a>).<br><br>The narrative also highlights the role of divine providence in the affairs of men. The seemingly random act of a woman dropping a millstone from the tower is portrayed as an instrument of God's judgment against Abimelech. This event underscores the biblical theme that God can use the weak and unexpected to accomplish His purposes, as seen throughout Scripture.<br><br><b>Historical and Archaeological Context</b><br><br>Thebez is believed to have been located in the region of Manasseh, though its exact location remains uncertain. Some scholars suggest it may correspond to the modern site of Tubas, located in the West Bank. The presence of a fortified tower within the city aligns with archaeological findings of similar structures in ancient Near Eastern cities, which were often used for defense and refuge.<br><br>In summary, the Tower of Thebez is a testament to the themes of justice, divine intervention, and the ultimate futility of human pride and ambition when set against the will of God. The account serves as a reminder of the biblical truth that God is sovereign over the affairs of nations and individuals alike.</div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="sub" id="sub"></a><div class="vheading2">Subtopics</div><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/t/tower.htm">Tower</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_for_watchmen_(sentinels).htm">Tower for Watchmen (Sentinels)</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_in_the_desert.htm">Tower in the Desert</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_in_the_walls_of_jerusalem.htm">Tower in the Walls of Jerusalem</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/t/tower_of_babel.htm">Tower of Babel</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_of_david.htm">Tower of David</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_of_divine_protection.htm">Tower of Divine Protection</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_of_edar.htm">Tower of Edar</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/t/tower_of_edar_the_flock.htm">Tower of Edar the Flock</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_of_hananeel.htm">Tower of Hananeel</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/t/tower_of_ivory.htm">Tower of Ivory</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/t/tower_of_lebanon.htm">Tower of Lebanon</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_of_meah.htm">Tower of Meah</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_of_other_cities.htm">Tower of Other Cities</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_of_penuel.htm">Tower of Penuel</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_of_shechem.htm">Tower of Shechem</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_of_siloam.htm">Tower of Siloam</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower_of_syene.htm">Tower of Syene</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/t/tower_of_the_furnaces.htm">Tower of the Furnaces</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/t/tower_siloam_in.htm">Tower Siloam In</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower--as_fortress.htm">Tower: As Fortress</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/t/tower--parable_of.htm">Tower: Parable of</a></p><a name="rel" id="rel"></a><div class="vheading2">Related Terms</div><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/t/tower-house.htm">Tower-house (6 Occurrences)</a></p><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/r/rhodes.htm">Rhodes (2 Occurrences)</a></p><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/t/tower.htm">Tower (74 Occurrences)</a></p><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/b/babel.htm">Babel (3 Occurrences)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/topical/t/the_tower_of_the_ovens.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="The Tower of the Ovens"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="The Tower of the Ovens" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/topical/t/the_tower_that_juts_out.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="The Tower that Juts Out"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="The Tower that Juts Out" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div> <div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"><script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></div></td></tr></table></div></div></div> <br /><br /> <div align="center"> <div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>