Jephthah was a judge who rose to prominance after Deborah and Gideon. The son of a prostitute, he was disinherited by his family and lived by raiding. War with the Ammonites made the Israelites call upon him as a military leader. Before battle he vowed that if God gave him victory he would sacrifice to God whatever met him when he returned home. Jephthah was victorious, but the first to meet him upon his return was his daughter. Hearing of the vow, she asked for and was given the opportunity to grieve for two months before her death.