Samson's Wars with the Philistines

1075–1055 BC Philistia Status: ended Casualties: A thousand at Lehi; more in his death than in his life at Gaza

Samson, set apart from the womb, smote a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, carried off the gates of Gaza, and at last — shorn and blinded — pulled down the temple of Dagon upon three thousand of the lords of the Philistines. Judges 13–16.

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Belligerents

Samson the Nazirite
Philistines

Casualties

A thousand at Lehi; more in his death than in his life at Gaza

Key events

Riddle at the wedding feast: 'out of the strong came forth sweetness'
Foxes loosed in the Philistine standing corn
Samson carries the gates of Gaza to the top of a hill before Hebron
Delilah's lap; the seven locks; the Spirit departs
Eyes put out; he grinds at the mill; the hair grows again

Aftermath

He judged Israel twenty years. His final prayer — 'Let me die with the Philistines' — and the collapse of Dagon's house killed more in his death than in his life.

Weapons & matériel

The jawbone of an ass
Three hundred foxes with firebrands tied between their tails
The pillars of Dagon's temple

Sources

Judges 13–16
Hebrews 11:32

From World at War, an interactive atlas by Jairus Pereira. Figures are approximate, drawn from Wikipedia, UCDP, ACLED and academic sources — a design artefact, not an authoritative register. Contact.