the modern use comes from an account in the hebrew bible. how this word was pronounced was used to distinguish friend from foe. in the book of judges, chapter 12, the inhabitants of gilead inflicted a military defeat on the invading tribe of ephraim (around 1370–1070 bc). the surviving ephraimites tried to cross the river jordan to their home territory, but the gileadites secured the river's fords to stop them.