The book of Judges describes the formative years of Israel as a nation. Before Israel had kings, it had judges who acted as military and social leaders. Presumably, Israel did not need a human king because God was their king. Generally, it is believed that the judges ruled between 1200 B.C.E. and 1025 B.C.E. The Israelites had entered into a covenant with God, but they did not keep their end of the deal.