Judges 9:46

9:46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem 1  heard the news, they went to the stronghold 2  of the temple of El-Berith. 3 

Judges 20:3

20:3 The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. Then the Israelites said, “Explain how this wicked thing happened!”

1 sn Perhaps the Tower of Shechem was a nearby town, distinct from Shechem proper, or a tower within the city.

2 tn Apparently this rare word refers here to the most inaccessible area of the temple, perhaps the inner sanctuary or an underground chamber. It appears only here and in 1 Sam 13:6, where it is paired with “cisterns” and refers to subterranean or cave-like hiding places.

3 sn The name El-Berith means “God of the Covenant.” It is probably a reference to the Canaanite high god El.