Abimelech of Shechem (died 1233 BC) was King of Shechem from 1236 to 1233 BC.
Biography[]
Abimelech was the son of the Israelite general Gideon and his Shechemite concubine. On his father's death in 1236 BC, Abimelech obtained the support of his mother's people in seizing power for himself, killing his 70 brothers; only the youngest, Jotham, escaped. Abimelech claimed to rule over the Tribe of Manasseh and was proclaimed King in Shechem, only for his discontented subjects to rebel against him. The Shechemites, led by Gaal, were defeated in two battles in 1233 BC, and Abimelech burned all of the town's nobles as they took refuge in its tower, before razing the city and salting its soil. During his siege of Thebez, another rebellious city, Abimelech again attempted to burn out the citizens who had taken refuge in a tower, only for a woman to throw a millstone onto Abimelech. A fatally wounded Abimelech had his own armor-bearer kill him to spare him the humiliation of being killed by a woman.