Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, slays the
Canaanite general Sisera
The
Kenites were a
nomadic tribe of the ancient Levant, many of whom became affiliated with the
Israelites. The Kenites are described as showing kindness to the Israelites during
the Exodus and later settling among them in the tribal areas of
Judah and Naphtali after the conquest of
Canaan. They intermarried with the Israelites and are depicted in the biblical narratives as supporting Israel in its fight against the
Canaanites and
Amalekites.
Among the well-known Kenites were
Jethro, the "priest of
Midian," and his daughter Zipporah, who became the wife of
Moses and mother of his two sons. The biblical heroine Jael, who slew the Canaanite general Sisera after the battle of
Mount Tabor, was the wife of Heber the Kenite.
