Piram

Piram is the king of Jarmuth, one of the five Amorite kings who join Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem in the southern coalition against Gibeon and against Joshua. He is named once at the formation of the coalition and is one of the five overtaken at the cave of Makkedah, where Joshua executes them and hangs their bodies on trees until evening.

The Coalition Against Gibeon

Piram enters the narrative as one of four kings summoned by Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem after Gibeon's covenant with Israel: "Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, and to Piram king of Jarmuth, and to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying" (Jos 10:3). The five-king alliance — Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon — is the Amorite confederacy of the southern hill country, and Piram is fixed by his city: king of Jarmuth.

The Cave at Makkedah

After the rout of the coalition, the five kings flee together and are sealed inside the cave at Makkedah while the Israelite pursuit continues: "And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah... And Joshua said, Roll great stones to the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them: but don't you⁺ stop; pursue after your⁺ enemies, and strike the hindmost of them" (Jos 10:16-19). When the slaughter is complete and the remnant has retreated into the fortified cities, the kings are brought out (Jos 10:22-23). Joshua summons the chiefs of the men of war and stages a public sign: "Come near, put your⁺ feet on the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet on the necks of them. And Joshua said to them, Don't be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage: for thus will Yahweh do to all your⁺ enemies against whom you⁺ fight" (Jos 10:24-25). The five kings are then executed and hanged: "And afterward Joshua struck them, and put them to death, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging on the trees until the evening. And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave in which they had hidden themselves, and laid great stones on the mouth of the cave, to this very day" (Jos 10:26-27). Piram dies as one of the five, and the cave that had been their refuge becomes their grave, sealed by the same kind of stones that had earlier shut them in.