Gibeonite

The Gibeonites were an ancient people who inhabited the city of Gibeon. According to the Hebrew Bible, they were descendants of the Hivites, one of the Canaanite nations living in the land of Canaan at the time of the Israelite conquest. The Gibeonites are prominently featured in the Book of Joshua, where they employed a clever deception to secure a treaty of peace with the invading Israelites.

When Joshua and the Israelites were campaigning in Canaan, they were informed of the Gibeonites' intentions. The Gibeonites, fearing the Israelites' military might, sent envoys dressed in worn-out clothes and carrying old provisions to appear as if they had traveled from a distant land. They claimed to be seeking an alliance, not conquest. Joshua, after being misled into believing they were from a far-off region, made a covenant of peace with them.

Upon discovering the Gibeonites' true proximity and deception, the Israelites were initially angered but upheld their oath. Instead of destroying them, the Gibeonites were spared and assigned a status of servitude, becoming "hewers of wood and drawers of water" for the Israelite community and the sanctuary. This arrangement continued for generations.

Later, during the reign of King Saul, the Israelites broke the covenant with the Gibeonites, leading to a famine. King David, seeking to atone for this transgression, handed over seven sons of Saul to the Gibeonites, who executed them, thus satisfying their grievance and ending the famine. The Gibeonites remained in their city and were eventually integrated into the broader population of Judah.