Men raised up by Jehovah to deliver his people prior to the period of Israel’s human kings were known as judges. (Jg 2:16) Moses, as mediator of the Law covenant and God-appointed leader, judged Israel for 40 years. But the period of Judges, as usually viewed, began with Othniel, sometime after the death of Joshua, and extended until Samuel the prophet. Samuel is not usually counted among the Judges. So the period of the Judges extended about 300 years.​—Jg 2:16; Ac 13:20.

The judges were selected and appointed by Jehovah from various tribes of Israel. Between Joshua and Samuel, 12 judges (not including Deborah) are named, as follows:

Judge

Tribe

Othniel

Judah

Ehud

Benjamin

Shamgar

(?)

Barak

Naphtali (?)

Gideon

Manasseh

Tola

Issachar

Jair

Manasseh

Jephthah

Manasseh

Ibzan

Zebulun (?)

Elon

Zebulun

Abdon

Ephraim

Samson

Dan

The exact area over which each of the judges exercised jurisdiction and the dates of their judgeships cannot in every case be determined. Some may have judged contemporaneously in different sections of Israel, and there were periods of oppression intervening.​—See MAP, Vol. 1, p. 743; COURT, JUDICIAL; JUDGMENT DAY; also judges of Israel under individual names.