The Spring of Gideon, called the Spring of Herod in the Old Testament, still flows out of a cave at the foot of the Gilboa Mountains as it did in Gideon’s time (around 1400-1300 BC).
As recounted in the Judges chapter 7 (Gideon’s full story is in Judges 6:11-8:35). Gideon had previously sent emissaries throughout the tribes of Israel requesting men to come and throw out the invading armies of the Midianites. Many thousands came but the Lord said it was too many. So first Gideon said that anyone who was afraid could go home and 22,000 men left, leaving 10,000 behind to fight. But the Lord said that 10,000 was still too many. The Lord wanted to make sure Israel knew it was the Lord who won the battle and not the men of Israel.
So the Lord told Gideon to bring the men to the spring to drink and “Every one that laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself (verse 5)”. See below, I am lapping like a dog…
Sometime in the past 40 years stones were added to the stream bank making it difficult to stick your face in the water.
The Lord went on to say “Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” See below, I am demonstrating kneeling to drink.
The difference between the two positions I feel is significant. Those who stuck their face in the water are not aware of their surroundings and therefore vulnerable to surprise attacks. Whereas those who knelt to drink could keep a weapon in one hand while cupping their other hand to drink. They are much better soldiers.
“And the number of those that lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water.” (Verse 6)
“And the Lord said to Gideon, With the 300 men that lapped I will deliver you, and give the Midianites into your hand; and let all the others go every man to his home.” (Verse 7)
The rest is history. The 300 departed this place with Gideon, surrounded the Midianites by night, and at the same time, loudly broke pots exposing lamps and blew horns. The confused hordes of Midianites killed each other.
Note – I used the RSV and ESV versions of the Bible as they are a little more clear than the KJV. Below is the cave from which the water emerges from the mountain.
A historical side note: On September 3, 1260 AD, near this spring, the Muslim Mamluk army (who then ruled the holy land) defeated the invading Mongolian army. This shattered the myth of Mongolian invincibility.
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