Hoham

Hoham king of Hebron was one of five Amorite kings who formed a coalition against Gibeon after the Gibeonites made a peace treaty with Joshua. When Gibeon appealed to Joshua for help, Israel marched overnight from Gilgal and launched a surprise attack, routing the coalition at the battle of Beth-horon. God aided Israel with a great hailstorm that killed more of the enemy than the sword, and it was during this battle that Joshua's famous prayer caused the sun to stand still over Gibeon.

After the battle, Hoham and the other four kings—Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, Debir of Eglon, and the king of Jerusalem Adoni-zedek—hid in a cave at Makkedah. Joshua sealed the cave entrance until the military operation was complete, then brought the kings out and had his commanders place their feet on their necks as a symbolic act of subjugation before executing them and hanging their bodies on trees. The episode established Israelite dominance over the entire southern hill country in a single campaign. Hoham's name means Jehovah impels.