Judges 12:7

The story of Jephthah is brought to a close with the formula which is used of the Minor Judges, Judges 12:8-15; Judges 10:2-5.

was buried in one of the cities of Gilead The text has in the cities of G.! Can this mean that Jephthah was buried somewhere or other in Gilead? The vagueness of the expression is supposed to be an indication of the vaguely historical character of the whole story (Meyer, Die Israeliten, p. 535). Probably, however, the text is incorrect. The LXX. cod. B reads -in his city in G.", cod. A -in his city G."; Vulgate in civitate sua Galaad. Some cursive mss. of LXX read -in his city in Sephe Gilead," cf. Jos., Ant.Judges 12:7; Judges 12:12 -in Sebee of G."; this suggests that the text originally ran in his city, in Mizpeh of G., cf. Judges 8:27; Judges 11:29. The rabbis are driven to explain -limb after limb fell off his body and was buried each in a different place," Midrash Rabba Levit. § 37, Bereshith§ 60.