After Gideon's death the people of Israel were unfaithful to God again. They worshiped the Baals. They made Baal-Berith their god.

They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men to join him.

When all the men in the fort at Shechem heard this, they sought safety in the stronghold of the temple of Baal-Berith.