Judges 11:26--How long did Israel dwell in Heshbon?

Problem: This verse affirms that Israel was in the land from the time of Moses to the time of Samuel, a period of about “three hundred years.” However, if one adds up all the reigns of the judges, it totals some 410 years.

Solution: The obvious solution is that, like the later kings of Israel, there were overlapping reigns. In other words, while some of the land was under oppression by a foreign ruler, other parts may have been delivered by a judge of Israel. Furthermore, it was common for a ruler to claim the whole year when he reigned only a part of it. Thus, the same year would be counted by different judges.

Furthermore, the 300 years total between Joshua and Samuel (ca. 1400-1100 b.c.) fits well with other verses that place the whole time period from the Exodus to Solomon at 480 years (1 Kings 6:1), and Acts 13:20 which speaks of 450 years between Israel’s conquering the Land and Solomon’s death (ca. 1381-931 b.c.).