As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.

And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him.

When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-berith.