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Battlefront
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In Jeremiah, the chosen people were to beware chariots coming at them “as a
whirlwind” with “horses swift as eagles”. To stand in their way was folly. Even
the great Hebrew commanders found fighting chariots a daunting task. Judah in
the Book of Judges conquered city after city in his campaigns, but baulked at
facing the “iron chariots” fielded by the cities in the valleys. Indeed, only once in
the Book of Judges do the Hebrews defeat a chariot force and that seems to have
been through the enemy chariots becoming caught in a flooded river – such was
the nature of divine intervention. The earlier Hebrew leader Joshua might have
wished for a similar solution when he faced the combined armies at Merom, but
he would have to rely on human endeavor and ingenuity.
Hebrew military history begins properly in the wilderness years following Moses’
exodus from Egypt, in the 15th century BCE or thereabouts, although some
historians now argue that the Hebrews were not the slaves of the Egyptians of
Victorian invention but mercenaries protecting the invasion routes into Egypt.
Moses appears to have trained an army in the generation spent wandering the
Sinai but he was not the one to use it; that honour would fall to Joshua. Our first
encounter with him is in Exodus where he leads a counter attack against the
Amalekites, but his major success was to capture the fortified town of Jericho
during the Hebrew conquest of Canaan – he marched his army around until the
walls “came tumbling down”. Joshua was again victorious at the Battle of Ai
where he employed a classic bait and switch battle plan to lure his enemy into a
full-scale battle against overwhelming odds. Joshua’s success preceded him as he
marched onwards and northwards into Canaan, so that he could offer amnesty to
cities that surrendered while promising total destruction to those who would not.
This was a serious situation for the Canaanite kings who could not afford to let
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Joshua entrench his army on the high ground from where they could strike in
any direction. If the Hebrews were to be defeated, it had to be done quickly and
ruthlessly. To that end, King Jabin of Hazor called the Canaanite tribes to meet
at the Waters of Merom to discuss strategy and combine forces. The most
prominent of the respondents were the Kings of Madon, Shimron, and Achpash,
and they brought their chariots.
The three resources required to wage effective warfare were wood, metal, and
horses. The basic infantry weapon was the spear, a combination of wood and
metal. Soldiers could use it at short range or throw them in the case of more
lightweight spears. The development of the bow allowed soldiers to hit their
enemies at greater distances, but archery required training if it was to be much
use in battle. A curious form of sword was used for very close-quarter fighting.
The sword had a handle with an elongated curved sickle blade, useful for
chopping down onto arms and hands, or slicing across to lop off heads or hack
into enemy bodies. To counter those weapons, rudimentary armour was
developed with helmets and breastplates the most common apparatus available.
Procuring the metal to make armour was expensive, however, and only the most
fortunate men could afford to wear greaves on their legs or forearm protection.
Shields of varying sizes and utility complemented body armour but the
aggressive tactical use of the shield as developed by the Greeks and Romans was
not yet in evidence.
Throughout the early chapters of the Bible, we read that the Hebrews were
poorly armed compared to their enemies. This was partly a propaganda exercise
on the part of the Hebrew writers to show the odds overcome by the chosen
people and the influence of their god. However, it is likely that the Hebrews had
an established centre of operations where weapons were manufactured and
repaired. Moreover, a string of victories meant that the Hebrews main armoury
was equipment captured from their defeated enemies. Thus, by the time Joshua
came to the Merom it is likely that his infantry was at least as well-equipped as
the Canaanite alliance.
The imbalance between the Hebrews and their enemies was compounded when
it came to chariots. The Canaanite chariots were lightweight, two-wheeled,
wooden platforms pulled by a pair of horses. They were not the magnificent
creatures of Hollywood’s ‘sword-and-sandal’ epics, though, but more like
comparatively small shaggy ponies. They were also difficult to train and
maintain. Moreover, horses were vulnerable when static. What that meant for
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warfare was that chariots were very useful for transporting men quickly around a
battlefield but chariots were little value as shock weapons or for fighting at close
quarters. Nevertheless, chariots were highly effective out on the open plains
where they had room to manoeuvre, harassing the flanks of enemy infantry and
destabilizing their formations and making it easier for the frontal assault to
succeed when it came. The Hebrews knew that they could only neutralize enemy
superiority in chariots by fighting in the hills or on rough terrain, but to
complete their conquest of Canaan, the Hebrews needed to defeat chariot forces
out on the plains.
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Joshua exhibited some doubts on the eve of battle and must have been relieved
when his god told him not to worry and that victory was assured. By the end of
the next day, the voice promised, Joshua would be killing enemy horses and
burning their chariots. Buoyed by that promise, Joshua set out his plans. And so,
early the following morning, the Hebrews set out to win their finest battle yet.
To negate the enemy chariots, Joshua had to hit them when they were not ready
and deployed. To that end, he organized his army into detachments all of whom
would hit the enemy camp around the same time and preferably before the
enemy guards could raise the alarm. We can only imagine the look of surprise on
the faces of the Canaanite guards as the Hebrews rushed out of the morning
haze. First one shout then many would tear the quiet of the dawn. Men emerged
from tents to see what was going on, others rolled out of their sleeping blankets
fumbling for weapons and shields. The charioteers started running to get the
horses and lead them to the chariots. Canaanite commanders, meanwhile, began
barking orders and demands. The Hebrews came on and the swiftest entered the
camps even as their slingers’ missiles were still in the air. Sickle swords slashed,
their blades glinting in the sunlight, and Hebrew spears impaled the slowest of
the enemy. The Canaanites could not get organized; everywhere was chaos and
panic. There was nothing left to do but abandon all chances of winning and seek
safety. The enemy that survived the first assault took to their heels chased and
cut down by the pursuing Hebrews all the way to the valley of Mezpah. As
promised, Joshua’s small army had conquered again. They duly wiped out the
horses and burned the enemy chariots, basking in the glow of fire and victory.
Joshua wasted little time celebrating his victory and pushed on to the town of
Hazor. The Hebrew army took the town and sacked it, burning it to the ground.
King Jabin of Hazor’s body lay in the ashes. Joshua followed up by sacking other
cities, sparing no man who stood against him or his army. There was little left of
the former tenants of Canaan by the time Joshua finished and he gave the now
peaceful land to his people to rule.
Scenario
The Hebrew command is taken by one player. His mission is to destroy utterly
the alliance camping along the banks of the Merom. He will have to strike
quickly and take enormous risks if he is to be successful.
The Allied Kings can be played by up to four players, one each for Hazor, Madon,
Shimron, and Achshaph. The overall commander is Jabin of Hazor, but each
commander must look to his own interests if events spin out of control.
Remember the maxim, he who runs away lives to fight another day, although
that will hardly endear you to Jabin if he should win. It’s your call.
Forces
We do not know for certain the sizes of the forces involved at the Waters of
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Using the Field of Glory rules, the forces at the Waters of Merom were as
follows:
Close
Type Armour Quality Training Shooting
Combat
Guard Medium
Unprotected Superior Drilled Bow Swordsman
Infantry Foot
Medium
Javelinmen Protected Average Undrilled - Light Spear
Foot
Medium
Unprotected Poor Undrilled - Light Spear
Foot
Light
Unprotected Average Undrilled Javelins Light Spear
Foot
Medium
Archers Unprotected Average Undrilled Bow -
Foot
Light
Unprotected Poor Undrilled Bow -
Foot
Light
Slingers Unprotected Average Undrilled Sling -
Foot
Close
Type Armour Quality Training Shooting
Combat
Light
Chariots - Superior Undrilled Bow -
Chariots
Light
Guard Medium
Protected Superior Drilled - spear,
Infantry Foot
Swordsman
Medium
Javelinmen Protected Average Undrilled - Light Spear
Foot
Archers Medium
Unprotected Average Undrilled Bow -
Medium Foot
The battlefield is set up on a 6’x4’ table with a narrow river running down the
centre from east to west. The river is fordable along its length but only on foot.
There is no restriction for light infantry crossing the river, but heavy infantry will
be impeded. The northern and southern table edges are slightly elevated with
some rocky outcrops and vegetation providing cover for an army approaching
from the south. There is also the usual vegetation found along the banks of the
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The Hebrew army begins the game on the southern table edge. They have not yet
been spotted and they have the initiative throughout the battle.
The Allied Kings are in four camps of 1 square foot anywhere along the northern
bank of the river but must be at least partly located within 12” of the river. The
camps must not be within 6” of each other. The player representing Jabin of
Hazor has first choice of campsite, with the other players rolling dice to decide
on deployment hierarchy. Within the camps, the chariots, horses, and men must
be in separate corners of the square – thus, in the event of an attack, the
contingent will have to get the men to the horses, then the horses to the chariots
before they can take part in the battle.
The Hebrew
commander has the
first initiative and the
first move.
Raising the Alarm moves at the rate of 24” per turn, i.e. any camp within 24”
can begin to respond to a raised alarm from a neighbouring camp on its next
turn. Camps from 24” to 48” must wait for a turn for the alarm to reach them.
Subordinate allied troops must take orders from King Jabin of Hazor if his
command is within 12” of them even if that means over-riding their own
commander’s orders.
Victory Conditions1. The Hebrews win completely if they destroy all the allied
forces.2. King Jabin of Hazor wins only if the Hebrews are driven from the
field.3. The other allied Kings win if their forces are intact at the end of the
battle and King Jabin has been routed.
References
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Yigael Yadin, The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands, Vol.1 (McGraw-Hill, 1963)
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