Burn People Alive

On the following day the people went out into the fields.  When Abimelech was told, he took his troops and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the fields.  When he looked and saw the people coming out of the city, he rose against them and killed them.  Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed on all who were in the fields and killed them.  Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city, and killed the people that were in it; and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.

When all the lords of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the temple of El-berith.  Abimelech was told that all the lords of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together.  So Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the troops that were with him. Abimelech took an ax in his hand, cut down a bundle of brushwood, and took it up and laid it on his shoulder.  Then he said to the troops with him, “What you have seen me do, do quickly, as I have done.”  So every one of the troops cut down a bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women.  (Judges 9:42-49 NRS)