Sisera
Sisera | |
|---|---|
Yael Killing Sisera, by Lambert Lombard, 1530–1535 | |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | c. 1200 BCE Tent of Jael, Plain of Zaanaim |
| Occupation | Military commander |
| Known for | Commander of the Canaanite army under King Jabin, killed by Jael |
| Parent | Possibly Shamgar (according to Jewish tradition) |
Sisera (Hebrew: סִיסְרָא, romanized: Sīsərāʾ) was commander of the Canaanite army of King Jabin of Hazor, who is mentioned in Judges 4–5 of the Hebrew Bible. After being defeated by the forces of the Israelite tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali under the command of Barak and Deborah, Sisera was killed by Jael, who hammered a tent peg into his temple while he slept.
The etymology of Sisera's name is unclear. Sisera's name has been variously identified as Philistine, Hittite, Hurrian, or Egyptian (Ses-Ra, "servant of Ra"). The Israeli scholar and archaeologist Adam Zertal identifies Sisera with the Sea People called Sherden, arguing that Sisera came from the island of Sardinia.