The book of Judges chronicles the dark and chaotic period in Israel's history between the death of Joshua and the rise of the monarchy. It is a story told in a grim, repeating cycle: the people forget God and turn to idols, God hands them over to foreign oppressors, the people cry out in their misery, and God raises up a deliverer—a 'judge'—to save them. From the faithful leadership of Deborah to the flawed heroism of Gideon and the tragic strength of Samson, the narrative traces a steady decline in the quality of leadership and the moral fabric of the nation. The book concludes with two shocking accounts of religious and social anarchy, driving home its haunting refrain: 'In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.'