As I'm going back in time through Paul Davidson's blog, here he proposes the book of Judges - and maybe Joshua - as Hellenistic-era additions to our Bible. Paul D doesn't see where any text in our Bible refers back to these heroes (who aren't judges) until Ruth. And Ben-Sira.
Some are warlords or, in Deborah's case, war-ladies; Gideon and Abimelech were failed kings. But the roaming justices show up only with Samuel. Samson, and "Shamgar", act more like Conan of Cimmeria; Paul Davidson gives to them about as much historical credence. Those stumbling upon Judges' translation in Greek would immediately think of Heracles.
To be noted, the song of Deborah is I think in ABH, unlike some songs we could note. I don't know if Solomon's song - which the Greek cites from Jashar - is ABH, but it is short and not all the Hebrew survives.
I get the impression however that as Shamgar seems Hurrian / Horite, which language is pretty-much gone from the scene by the time of Josiah; and since Judges 5 is ABH, that a lot of these heroic tales are indeed old. As Judges 4 attempts a narrative of Judges 5; the ancient lays may have sung of Gideon, and of Jephthah and certainly Samson.
"Judges", for Davidson, is - then - a postHellenic answer to Hesiod and, perhaps more-so, Alexandrene summarisers of ancient myths (think, Robert Graves).
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