Judges (“Shoftim”) is the second book of the Prophets, describing the period after Joshua’s leadership and before the advent of monarchy, when Israel lacked long-term centralized leadership. The book details cycles of sin, foreign oppression, repentance, and redemption through leaders appointed by God, like Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. It ends by highlighting the chaos of the period with stories about theft, idolatry, rape, murder, and civil war.