Shibboleth incident
E1018066
The Shibboleth incident is a biblical episode in which the pronunciation of the word “shibboleth” was used as a linguistic test to distinguish and execute enemy Ephraimites.
Statements (45)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
biblical incident
ⓘ
linguistic shibboleth ⓘ mass killing ⓘ |
| describedIn |
Book of Judges
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Hebrew Bible NERFINISHED ⓘ Old Testament NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| followsEvent | Jephthah’s victory over the Ammonites ⓘ |
| hasCause |
civil war among Israelites
ⓘ
conflict between Gilead and Ephraim ⓘ |
| hasConsequenceForFailure | execution GENERATED ⓘ |
| hasCulturalLegacy | origin of the term "shibboleth" ⓘ |
| hasGenre | narrative prose ⓘ |
| hasKeyFigure | Jephthah the Gileadite NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasLanguageTestWord | shibboleth ⓘ |
| hasLeaderOnOneSide | Jephthah NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasMethodOfIdentification | pronunciation test ⓘ |
| hasModernUsageInfluence |
"shibboleth" meaning group-specific custom or phrase
ⓘ
"shibboleth" meaning test to distinguish insiders from outsiders ⓘ |
| hasMoralInterpretation |
example of the power of language
ⓘ
warning against intertribal strife ⓘ |
| hasNumberKilledAccordingToText | 42000 Ephraimites ⓘ |
| hasOutcome |
defeat of Ephraimites
ⓘ
mass execution of Ephraimites ⓘ |
| hasPrimarySourceLanguage | Biblical Hebrew NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasReligiousTradition |
Christianity
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Judaism NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasTheme |
ethnic and tribal identity
ⓘ
intragroup conflict ⓘ language as social boundary ⓘ violence based on linguistic difference ⓘ |
| incorrectPronunciationAs | "sibboleth" ⓘ |
| inspiredConcept |
linguistic markers of group identity
ⓘ
use of passwords based on pronunciation ⓘ |
| involvesGroup |
Ephraimites
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Gileadites NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| involvesPronunciationOf | shibboleth ⓘ |
| locatedInText | Judges 12:5–6 ⓘ |
| partOf | history of the Israelites in Judges ⓘ |
| precedesEvent | subsequent judges in the Book of Judges ⓘ |
| reliesOnInabilityToPronounce | "sh" sound by Ephraimites ⓘ |
| requiresCorrectPronunciationAs | "shibboleth" ⓘ |
| takesPlaceAt | fords of the Jordan River NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| takesPlaceNear | Jordan River NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| testsPronunciationOfSound | initial "sh" sound ⓘ |
| usedAsLinguisticTest | word "shibboleth" ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.