Judge Tola

"After Abimelech, Tola son of Puah son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, arose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim, and he judged Israel 23 years; then he died and was buried in Shamir" (Judges 10:1–2). That is the entire record. Coming right after Abimelech's civil war, which had destroyed Shechem, Tola's long tenure suggests a time of recovery, though the text records no battles or deeds.

His family names echo the clans of his tribe, for Tola and Puah (Puvah) are also the names of sons of Issachar (Genesis 46:13, Numbers 26:23). Tola means "worm", specifically the crimson worm (tolaat) from which red dye was made. Shamir has not been identified. He is the first of the five so-called minor judges, followed by Jair, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon.