THE Midianite said that in his dream, he had seen a cake of barley bread come rolling down the hillside and completely flatten a tent. That, stated his friend with dismal certainty, was nothing else than an omen of what Gideon would do on the morrow to the whole Midianite host.

The eavesdropping Gideon was greatly heartened by both the dream and the interpretation, and decided to play upon the fears already swirling in the enemy’s camp. He took his three hundred men, divided them into three companies, and handed out trumpets and lights concealed in pitchers.

While the Midianites were still settling into their posts after changing the night watch, Gideon’s companies blew their trumpets and smashed their pitchers, and shouted ‘The Sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!’ The sudden noise and light threw the Midianites into panic: fighting broke out among them, and Gideon’s three hundred had little difficulty chasing the rabble headlong out of Israel.*