Israelis Fighting Spirit Gift From Ancient Ancestors' Innovations

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                  

                    Battle Between Amaleks and Israelites

Jews having been under attack from Others ever since their bands of 12 tribes existed through their patriarch, Jacob who fathered the Israelites.  Their first big attack came while on the Exodus when they were attacked by the  Amaleks, who were themselves nomads, wandering between Southern lands of Eretz Yisrael and Canaan who attacked the Israelites in the desert near Rephidim shortly at the end of the Exodus, slaying the weak and the weary. 

 Amaleks were eventually defeated  by the Israelite army under Joshua.  (Exodus 7:8-13); (Deut.25-17-19).  Israel regarded them from then on as their eternal enemy.   The Battle of Jericho was the first and most well-known battle fought by Joshua, after Israel crossed the Jordan.  

King Saul almost did away with them in his battles of survival.  (I Sam. 15).  

By the time of the 12th and 11th centuries BCE, Amaleks penetrated Western lands of Eretz Yisrael, threatening the peace of the country.  In King David's time, the Amaleks invaded Southern Judea, one of the 12 tribe's land, burning the town of Ziklag.  David fought with his troops and defeated them heavily.  Only 400 Amaleks escaped.(I Sam.30).  

During the reign of King Hezekiah (720-690 BCE), the tribe of Simeon overwhelmed the Amalekites and settled in their territory.     Amaleks' name remained known from then on as their everlasting enmity to Israel and Haman was then known as "the Agagite" (Esther 3:1), even thought of as the descendant of Agag, king of the Amaleks.  (I Sam.15:33). 

The Israelites used a variety of unique battle tactics, including surprise attacks, unconventional weapons, and strategic fortifications: 

• Surprise attack

  Gideon's surprise attack on the Midianites was successful because he waited until the Midianites were sleeping and then signaled the attack with a trumpet and jars being smashed. The Midianites were panicked by the noise and flickering torches, and they fled into each other's swords.
• Unconventional weapon

  During 12th century BCE, A woman used a millstone as a weapon against Abimelech, illegitimate son of Gideon,  by dropping it on his head from the safety of a tower. He was the ruler during 3 years in Shechem with the support of the chiefs of that city, and was killed in the coming revolt (Judges 9).  
• Marching around Jericho

  The Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days, and seven times on the seventh day. The priests blew horns daily, and the people shouted on the last day.
•  Fortifications
• Solomon modernized the nation's defenses with fortifications at Hazor, Megiddo, Tamar, Gezer, Baalath, Lower Beth-Horon, and Tadmor.
• • Chariots

    Solomon's military used chariots in their defensive strategy to combat invading forces. 

  Guerrilla Warfare

  The Bible includes examples of guerrilla warfare Books of the Apocorypha-(I Maccabees 2:27) and (II Maccabees) , who first used this method; and  in the Israelite conquest of Canaan, led by Joshua, which involved ambushes and harassment of the enemy. The term "guerrilla" comes from the Spanish word for "little war" and originated in the 19th century during the Peninsular War. However, the practice of guerrilla warfare dates back to these  ancient times.  

• In the Hebrew Bible warfare includes the Amalekites, Canaanites, Moabites, and the record in Exodus, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and both books of Kings.

  
  
• Today's Israel Defense Force  of Israel use many of their new innovations, 
• The IDF's Top 10 Innovations

  • The “Iron Dome” Air Defense System. For many years, rockets have been launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip. ...
  • The “Trophy” System. ...
  • The F-16I "Sufa" ...
  • The “Merkava IV” ...
  • The drones, the eyes of the IDF. ...
  • The “Skylark I-LE” ...
  • The “Tzefa Shirion” ...
  • The "EyeBall" system.

  and more.                                                              

  

  On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. U.S. President Harry S. Truman-(on right) recognized the new nation on the same day.
• Israelis today are fighting for survival.  Their state of Israel was accepted by the UN on May 14, 1948, but they have had to fight ever since against the enemy, now the Palestinians and at the time-all the Muslim states surrounding them and beyond.  After losing 6 million in the Holocaust (1939-1945) , they are determined to "never again" put up with anti-Semitism's attacks on their lives.  
• Are the Ayatolahs of Iran descendants of the Amaleks?  Could be.  
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• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_the_Hebrew_Bible 
• https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/technology-and-innovation/the-idf-s-top-10-innovations/
• https://militaryhistorynow.com/2022/06/03/old-testament-tactics-six-battle-winning-strategies-from-the-bible-that-appear-throughout-history/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_Maccabeus
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Resource:

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia