When the citizens of Shechem and the whole house of Millo were gathered together by the plain of the pillar (i.e., the stone set up by Joshua, 24:26; compare Genesis 35:4) that was in Shechem, to make Abimelech king, from one of the heights of Mount Gerizim he protested against their doing so in the earliest parable, that of the bramble-king. This parable is often repeated at Tu BiShvat and is famous in Israel. His words then spoken were prophetic. There came a recoil in the feelings of the people toward Abimelech, and then a terrible revenge, in which many were slain and the city of Shechem was destroyed by Abimelech (Judg. 9:45). Having delivered his warning, Jotham fled to Beer from the vengeance of Abimelech (9:7-21).