Lived: Approximately 1191–1151 BC
While Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress in the Jezreel Valley—about 60 miles north of modern-day Jerusalem, Israel—the ancient Egyptians were building the temples at Abu Simbel, and the Shang Dynasty was ruling China with the earliest known Chinese writing system.
Gideon came from the tribe of Manasseh, the weakest clan in his region. He was the youngest son in his father’s household. When God called him to lead Israel against the Midianites, he was literally hiding—secretly processing grain so raiders wouldn’t steal it.
Despite his fear and constant need for reassurance (he famously tested God twice with a wool fleece), Gideon led one of history’s most unconventional military victories. With just 300 men armed with torches, clay jars, and trumpets, he defeated an army described as thick as locusts. His story became a defining example of how God uses the least likely people to accomplish the most remarkable things.