Jael

Jael was the woman whose tent became the final refuge of fleeing Canaanite general Sisera. After twenty years of his oppression, Israel's forces attacked under Barak and Deborah. A sudden storm turned the battlefield to mud, neutralizing Sisera's nine hundred iron chariots and forcing him to escape on foot. He reached Jael expecting safety. Instead, she used her knowledge of sturdy tent pegs and a hammer to end his threat. When Barak arrived, Deborah's prophecy had been fulfilled: the honor of victory belonged to a woman. Jael's decisive action completed the defeat of a commander whose weapons had terrorized Israel for decades. Her courage stands at the surprising conclusion of a battle won through obedience, weather, and the resolve of people Sisera underestimated.