12th Century BC
The period of the Judges was marked by a cyclical pattern of Israel's disobedience, oppression by foreign powers, cries for deliverance, and the rise of judges as deliverers.
During this time, Israel was a loose confederation of tribes without a centralized government, often oppressed by surrounding nations such as the Philistines.
The events occur in the region of Zorah, in the territory of the tribe of Dan, near the Philistine border.
The Nazirite vow, as described in Numbers 6, involved abstaining from wine, not cutting hair, and avoiding contact with the dead, signifying a special dedication to God.
Manoah
Father of Samson, from the tribe of Dan.
Samson
Angel of the Lord
Divine messenger who announces Samson's birth and Nazirite vow.