Abimelech

Abimelech (also spelled Abimelek or Avimelech; Hebrew: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ‎ / אֲבִימָלֶךְ‎, Modern ʼAvīméleḵ / ʼAvīmáleḵ Tiberian ʼAḇīmeleḵ / ʼAḇīmāleḵ, "my father is a king" /" my father reigns") was the generic name given to all Philistine kings in the Hebrew Bible from the time of Abraham through King David. In the Book of Judges, Abimelech, son of Gideon, of the Tribe of Manasseh, is proclaimed king of Shechem after the death of his father. After Gideon's death, his 70 sons were slaughtered by the men of Shechem, who then proclaimed Abimelech, Gideon's youngest son, king. Abimelech besieged the city of Shechem, where his brothers had been killed, and eventually took control. He then went on to conquer the surrounding area, becoming king of all of Israel. However, Abimelech's reign was not to last long. He was assassinated by a woman who dropped a millstone on his head from