Tanakh

וַיָּ֨טֶל שָׁא֧וּל אֶֽת־הַחֲנִ֛ית עָלָ֖יו לְהַכֹּת֑וֹ וַיֵּ֙דַע֙ יְה֣וֹנָתָ֔ן כִּי־כָ֥לָה הִ֛יא מֵעִ֥ם אָבִ֖יו לְהָמִ֥ית אֶת־דָּוִֽד׃ {ס}     

"But Sha’ul hurled the spear at him, to strike him down, and so Yehonatan knew that his father had determined to put David to death. " — Sh'muel Aleph (Samuel I) 20:33; 1995 Schocken Bible Everett Fox translation

Talmud, Midrash, and Commentary

אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק, וּשְׁלׇשְׁתָּן מִקְרָא אֶחָד דָּרְשׁוּ: ״וַיִּחַר אַף שָׁאוּל בִּיהוֹנָתָן וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ בֶּן נַעֲוַת הַמַּרְדּוּת״, וּכְתִיב: ״וַיָּטֶל שָׁאוּל אֶת הַחֲנִית עָלָיו לְהַכּוֹתוֹ״.

"Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says: And all three of them expounded the same one verse, from which they derived their respective opinions. After Jonathan rebuked his father, Saul, for the way he treated David, the verse states: “Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him: You son of perverse rebellion, do not I know that you have chosen the son of Yishai to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness” (I Samuel 20:30). And it is written: “And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him, whereby Jonathan knew that it had been determined by his father to put David to death” (I Samuel 20:33)." — Arakhin 16b:11; William Davidson Talmud

Date Made:

April 23, 2025

Description

This is going to be one panel of the infamous Rosh Chodesh banquet from the Machar Rosh Chodesh haftarah. In this haftarah, Shaul HaMelech burns with anger with his son but where he throws the spear is unclear. Most assume he throws the spear at his own son, but Adam Green provides an intriguing interpretation that claims Shaul only threw a spear against David once: at David's empty space for David's "treachery" during the Rosh Chodesh Banquet in front of a bunch of witnesses. Yonatan moved seats away from his father out of "respect" but actually to steer clear of his father and be closer to David (Rashi on I Samuel 20:25:2; Tz'enah Ure'enah Haftarot: When Rosh Chodesh Occurs on a Sunday 5). The positions at the table then had to move to accommodate the prince's new seat. Shaul aimed for David's empty seat, but to an outside point of view, it looked like he aimed the spear toward his son. 

This is technically not finished because I want to fill the table with the other guests. Since this is Rosh Chodesh day 2, Achinoam is not here since she got her period and was not able to partake in a meal that requires one to be taharah (roughly "ritually pure"): Doeg on Shaul's right (who moved because Yonatan moved and Achinoam was no longer there); Avner on Shaul's left; Avinadav next to Doeg; Malchishua next to Avinadav; Adriel next to Malchishua; Merav next to Adriel; Yishvi next to Avner; Amasa next to Yishvi; Paltiel next to Amasa; and Michal next to Paltiel and her husband David's empty seat. Shaul has his own seat towards the back of the wall. The rabbis said this was because of either comfort or security. I say that it came from both reasons plus a paranoid episode, which most certainly did not help.

Tanakh

וּדְבוֹרָה֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה נְבִיאָ֔ה אֵ֖שֶׁת לַפִּיד֑וֹת הִ֛יא שֹׁפְטָ֥ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽיא׃ 

"Now Devora was a prophet woman, wife of Lappidot/Torches; she was judging Israel at that time." — Shoftim (Judges) 4:4; 1995 Schocken Bible Everett Fox translation

Talmud, Midrash, and Commentary

דְּבוֹרָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״וּדְבוֹרָה אִשָּׁה נְבִיאָה אֵשֶׁת לַפִּידוֹת״, מַאי ״אֵשֶׁת לַפִּידוֹת״? שֶׁהָיְתָה עוֹשָׂה פְּתִילוֹת לַמִּקְדָּשׁ. 

"Deborah was a prophetess, as it is written explicitly: “And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth” (Judges 4:4). The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of “the wife of Lappidoth”? The Gemara answers: For she used to make wicks for the Sanctuary, and due to the flames [lappidot] on these wicks she was called the wife of Lappidoth, literally, a woman of flames." — Megillah 14a:16

Date Made:

August 25, 2025

Description

Devorah the Prophetess serves as the judge, prophetess, and wise woman of Israel. She's the only female judge and one of the most famous.

Name

Devorah's name means "bee" but also of "davar" (the Divine word) and "daberi" (speak forth). 

Design Notes

Since Devorah was deemed a woman of the torches and her name means "bee," I designed her color palette on bees and honey while the shapes resemble a flame. Although most common interpretations claim her as a married woman and the wife of Lappidot or Barak ("lightning"), I interpret the Hebrew as "But Devorah the Prophetess, a fiery woman, she was judging Israel" because the word ishah (אִשָּׁ֣ה) comes before prophetess as well as before lappidot. Lappidot is also not mentioned again within the tale, so I see it as a descriptor for Devorah as "a woman of torches." Because she judged under a date palm, I took some design inspiration from the Judean date palm as well.

Tanakh

וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם וּמֶ֖לֶךְ אֵ֣ין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיְהִ֣י ׀ אִ֣ישׁ לֵוִ֗י גָּ֚ר בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֣י הַר־אֶפְרַ֔יִם וַיִּֽקַּֽח־לוֹ֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה פִילֶ֔גֶשׁ מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֖חֶם יְהוּדָֽה׃   

"Now it was in those days, when king there was none in Israel: there was a Levite man, sojourning on the flanks of the highlands of Efrayim. He took himself a concubine woman, from Bet-Lehem [in] Yehuda." — Sh'muel Aleph (Samuel I) 17:42; 1995 Schocken Bible Everett Fox translation
Talmud, Midrash, and Commentary

אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: לְעוֹלָם אַל יָטִיל אָדָם אֵימָה יְתֵירָה בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי פִּילֶגֶשׁ בַּגִּבְעָה הֵטִיל עָלֶיהָ בַּעֲלָהּ אֵימָה יְתֵירָה, וְהִפִּילָה כַּמָּה רְבָבוֹת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. 

"Rav Ḥisda says: A person should never impose excessive fear upon the members of his household, as the husband of the concubine of Gibeah imposed excessive fear upon her and this ultimately caused the downfall of many tens of thousands of Jews in the resulting war (see Judges 19–20)." — Gittin 6b:15

Date Made:

August 25, 2025

Description

This is the unnamed Levite, to whom Ritzpah was previously a concubine. He is a cousin of Sh'muel's via Sh'muel's father. He seduced Ritzpah and convinced Ritzpah that concubinage is the best she could get after the seduction. Once Ritzpah became his concubine, he treated her terribly. Ritzpah had requested a get, but the rabbis could not force the Levite to give one. When Ritzpah was at her father's house, the Levite came to retrieve her but while there, the Levite fell mysteriously dead.

Name

The Levite is only known by his profession rather than a name despite his very present role in the Binyaminite Civil War. Generally, the unnamed are either unimportant or incredibly wicked if we blotted out their name.