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#94
Gideon
גִּדְעוֹן (יְרֻבַּעַל)
Historical – UnknownDate APPROXIMATE
“Character in the biblical Book of Judges”
Who Was Gideon?
Gideon also named Jerubbaal and Jerubbesheth was an Israelite shopeṭ ("judge"), military leader, and prophet whose calling and victory over the Midianites is described in Judges 6–8 in the Hebrew Bible.
Signature Historical Impact
What Changed Because Gideon Lived?
1. Before ThemPre-Existing World
The tribes of Israel suffered seven years of severe impoverishment under seasonal Midianite and Amalekite raids that destroyed crops and livestock, driving Israelites into caves while Baal worship flourished.
2. The InterventionThe Catalyst
Called as a judge, Gideon tore down his father’s altar to Baal, mobilized a reduced elite force of only three hundred men equipped with torches and ram’s horns, routed the vast Midianite coalition in the Jezreel Valley, and firmly rejected an offer of dynastic kingship ("The Lord shall rule over you").
3. After ThemLong-Term Arc
Delivered Israel from catastrophic foreign domination, secured forty years of peace, and established the critical theological precedent that ultimate sovereignty belongs strictly to God rather than mortal monarchies.
Scriptural Provenance & Scholarly CanonVerified Sources
Biblical Texts & Study Bible References
Primary Scriptural AnchorJudges 6:1–8:35; Hebrews 11:32
Primary Scripture Citations
Judges 7:1–22Tanakh (Prophets)
The Historical Lineage
The Influence Chain
Tracing the downstream transmission from Gideon’s initial intervention through immediate adapters, institutionalization, and enduring consequences in human history.
1
Gideon’s Intervention
Called as a judge, Gideon tore down his father’s altar to Baal, mobilized a reduced elite force of only three hundred men equipped with torches and ram’s horns, routed the vast Midianite coalition in the Jezreel Valley, and firmly rejected an offer of dynastic kingship ("The Lord shall rule over you").
2
Dissemination Across Academies & Responsa
Rulings, codes, and hermeneutic principles incorporated into yeshiva curricula and communal adjudication.
3
Universal Halakhic Codification
Commentaries, codes, and responsa accepted as authoritative standards by Diaspora communities.
Defining Historical Contributions
Counterfactual Analysis (Interpretive)
What If Gideon Had Never Existed?
Without Gideon, the Midianite raids would have permanently broken Israel’s agrarian viability in central Canaan, accelerating religious apostasy into Baal worship.
The 6-Dimension Methodology
Influence Scoring & Tiers
Composite Score9.72 / 10
World-ChangersRanks 26–100
Editorial Rank
#94
Public Matrix
#169
Expert Panel
#93
Combined Blended
#91
Scale of Influence25%
9.8 / 10How many people, institutions, societies, or disciplines were affected?
Depth of Influence20%
9.7 / 10Claim-Level Source Citations
VERIFIEDHISTORICAL_FACT
Gideon: Analyzes Gideon’s anti-monarchic stance as one of the most significant early constitutional statements of divine theocracy in the Hebrew Bible.
Source: The Jewish Study Bible[Judges 6:1–8:35; Hebrews 11:32]
VERIFIEDHISTORICAL_FACT
[Judges 7:1–22] The reduction of Gideon’s army to three hundred men and the night assault with trumpets and pitchers routing Midian.
Source: Scripture Corpus: Judges (Tanakh (Prophets))[Judges 7:1–22]
Reference LinkVERIFIEDHISTORICAL_FACT
[Judges 8:22–23] Rejection of hereditary kingship: "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you."
Cite This Civilizational Monograph
Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.):The 1,000 Most Influential Jews in History. “Gideon (Editorial Rank #94).” Edited by the Academic Advisory Council. 2026. https://jews-1000.org/people/gideon.
Verified in Catalogue Editorial Consensus · Tier IIMethodology & Advisory Board →