Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, to Yahweh at Mizpah.
This paragraph confounds and frustrates the critics, who declare that such unity in Israel is utterly unlike the disunity exhibited in the other episodes of Judges.  "This unity of Israel and the greatly exaggerated figures indicate later expansion."[1]  "The word `congregation' is a post-exilic term."[2]  Such remarks are irresponsible.  The word congregation was frequently used throughout the Pentateuch and in the Book of Joshua.  What such critics fail to see is that the events of this chapter are closely related to the times of Joshua, perhaps within twenty years of his death.  "`Congregation' here is a technical term for the whole community of Israel and is an indication of the early date of these transactions."[3]  Myers even branded the expression, "from Dan to Beersheba" as evidence of "late date."[4]  Although it is true that the expression "from Dan to Beersheba" resulted from the migration of the Danites after the events of this chapter, the expression was certainly well known in the days of Samuel whom we have received as the author of Judges. Armerding observed that the events of  Judges 20-21 are included here at the end of Judges, "For theological reasons; but there is good reason to believe that the events took place much closer to the beginning of Judges."[5]  As these chapters stand, they provide a summary explanation of "How Israel developed into the disunited apostate people of the entire era of the Judges."  Terrible as the events of these chapters most certainly are, "There is a glimmer of hope for Israel, because they knew that the Law of God had been violated, and that judgment must be rendered."[6] Nevertheless, the bitterness of this disastrous war was directly responsible for the gross disunity, and Israel's subsequent attitude, "everybody on his own," and "doing what was right in his own eyes," which conditions made the institution of the monarchy imperative if Israel as a united people was to survive.