The Bible also mentions a few other short-range weapons such as axes and darts. Ancient Near Eastern peoples often used axes for cutting wood or even stone (1 Kings 6:7), and their armies sometimes used them as slashing weapons, especially in Egypt (see chap. 4 for discussion and images). When the Bible mentions axes in warfare, it usually refers to their use by other nations. However, in Judges 9:48 Abimelech and his troops use axes to cut branches during battle to burn a tower at Shechem.15