88 Elie Assis The context of the source in Deuteronomy is a warning that if Israel does not follow God, he will exile them from the land. If, however, they follow God’s commandments they will flourish in the land. The quotation of Rahab from this source is meant to show that she acknowledges the greatness of God and that she, too, is worthy of remaining in the land, contrary to other members of her people (18). By presenting Rahab’s words as quotations from the Pentateuch the author attempts to present her as one who is familiar with Israel’s beliefs and acquainted with their heritage; for this she deserves to belong with them and to be saved from the doom that befalls her Canaanite brethren. But why does Yael choose to help Barak; what is her motive (19)? The reader searches the story in vain for an answer. Yael belongs to a people who have good relations with the Canaanites and with the Israelites, as evident in two verses in the story. “Now Heber the Kenite had separated from the other Kenites, that is, the descendants of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses” (v. 11). This verse is balanced by another: “Now Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Yael wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between King Jabin of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite” (v. 17). The relations between the Canaanites and the Kenites are on Sisera’s mind when he chooses to find shelter. The Kenites are in good relations with the Canaanites as well as with the Israelites (20). The narration indicates the neutrality of the Kenites in order to obscure the motives of Yael, and to avoid any explanation in the political field (21). On the contrary she acts in contradiction to the interests of the Kenite clan (22). The ways of divine providence in the Yael story are even more obscure than in the Rahab story; the concealment of Yael’s motives leave an impression of wonder at such divine intervention. The absence of Yael’s motives in the story serves yet another purpose. Deborah is the judge in this story (23). The uniqueness of Deborah is that she does not take part in the war, as do the other judges in the book. She acts as a (18) For the Deuteronomistic style of Rahab’s words, see M. NOTH, Das Buch Josua (HAT; Tübingen 21953) 9; J.A. SOGGIN, Joshua. A Commentary (OTL; London 1972) 41- 42. For a different conclusion than mine, see NELSON, Joshua, 50. (19) This is probably the problem Klein (The Triumph of Irony in the Book of Judges, 43) aimed to solve when she determined that Yael is an Israelite. See n. 3 above. (20) For relations between these three groups, see: F.C. FENSHAM, “Did a Treaty Between the Israelites and the Kenites Exist?”, BASOR 175 (1964) 51-54. Contrary to Fensham there is no indication that Yael acted in accordance with the treaty between Israel and the Kenites; on the contrary the story asserts a stronger alliance between the Canaanites and the Kenites. Indeed, Sisera flees towards Yael’s tent presumably with a belief that he will find a shelter there. (21) Y. AMIT, The Book of Judges. The Art of Editing (Biblical Interpretation Series 38; Leiden 1999) 211. (22) Bos mentioned this point to demonstrate the independence of Yael and that she does not act in line of what is expected from women, see: BOS, “Out of the Shadows”, 52- 53. Similarly, also T.J. SCHNEIDER, Judges (Berit Olam, Collegeville 2000) 77. But these scholars who attempt to glorify Yael do not provide an understanding of her motives to assist the Israelites. (23) This is the most common opinion, see e.g. MURRAY, “Narrative Structure and Technique in the Deborah-Barak Story”, 167. Contrary to others who think that Barak is the Judge, see J.A. SOGGIN, Judges. A Commentary (OTL; London 1981) 71-72; WEBB, Judges, 137 and see also p. 133.