CHUSHANRISHATHAIM

Changing good name into bad one, particularly for the enemy, was a known practice during the Late Bronze Age Collapse.

For example, the scribe of king Rameses III (1155 BCE) changed the name of

 "Meryra" ("Beloved of Re")

 into 

"Mesedsura" ("Re hates him")

after the failed assassination to the pharaoh.

This could be also why "Su" was given an infamous name "Yar-su" ("Plunderer [of authority] or "He made himself") from the likely original name "Yah-Mesu" (Moses born of Yah).

This was also a practice among Hebrews (e.g. for Mephiboseth, Jezebel, Nebuchadnezzar, and so on).

During the time of Joshua (1248-1138 BCE), the contemporary of Caleb, the uncle of Othniel, king Rameses II (1279-1213 BCE) identified a certain

Cushan-ra-im ("q-s-n-r-m")

in his topographic list 23, #13, in Great Temple of Amon at Karnak. King Rameses II did not recognize Cushan-ra-im (Qusanaruma) as a state, town, or permanent territory. 

Later, when Rameses III (1186-1155 BCE) reigned, this same 

Cushan-ra-im (Qusanarama)

was written on Great Asiatic List 27, #89 in Great Temple at Medinet Habu with the hieroglyphic description of being a state, town or permanent territory. Hebrews during Othniel's time (fl.1185-1144 BCE) likely renamed this Cushan-ra-im as

Chushan-risathaim

("man of Kush, who has twofold crime"),

who from Aram-Naharaim (Mesopotamia)  subdued Hebrews in Sidon or Lebanon in 1191 BCE. 

His name suggests that he was from Kush. This "Kush" is mentioned in Genesis 2:13 where river Gozan (Gihon) flows and which is described in Akhenaten's time (1334 BCE) to be near Naharina (Mitanni). 

“The strong hand of the king took the land of Naharima, & the land of Kush,...” -Abdiheba, EA 288, lines 1-66 

In the Bible, it's clear that Cushanrishathaim was a king of Aram Naharim, thus corroborating that he came from Kush. Aram was a place surrounding Damascus. That Kushites (Kashites) were known to Jerusalemites as evil & committing crime is not a surprising thing. Even a general of Jerusalem reported to Akhenaten (1350-1334 BCE):

 "With regard to the Kashites, may the king make inquiry of the commissioners.Though the house is well fortified, they attempted a very serious crime.

 And please make the Kašites responsible for the evil deed. I was almost killed by the Kashites in my own house. May the king make an inquiry in their regard." - Abdikheba, EA 287, lines 33-37, 71-75

It is expected that Cushan-ra-im could be aliased as "Kushite with twofold crime" as Kashites prior him were known to Jerusalemites as evil or criminals.

Othniel, the nephew of Caleb, prevailed over him in 1185 or 1184 BCE as expectedly by this time he was very old. And it took place during the 2nd year of king Meli-Shipak ["Servant of Moon god"] (1186-1172 BCE) of Karduniash.

In circa 1185 BCE, hordes of enemies sacked the city of Emar in Aram (northern Syria), and a legal document dated to the 2nd year of Meli-Shipak (Legal text Msk. 73273) was found on the floor in a private house there. The sanctuaries of Baal and possibly of Astarte were destroyed, too. 

 (Daniel Arnaud, Les textes d'Emar et la chronologie de la fin du Bronze Recent, Syria, vol. 52, pp. 88-89, 1975). 

Emar was a satellite of Carchemish, hence may be the reason why king Rameses III called it Carchemish in 1179 BCE when describing it as one of the destroyed cities by the confederation of Peleset, Weshesh (Asherites), Denyen (Danites), Shakares (Issacharites), and Tjekru (Dor), when this confederation destroyed Amurru or Lebanon.

Kashites this time (1185/1184 BCE) were not ready, but Othniel prevailed over Cushanrishathaim of Aram.

The hieroglyphic records of the two pharaohs suggest that Cushan-ra-im at the beginning, that is, during king Rameses the Great's time (1279-1213 BCE), was just residing at a certain area near Damascus, but in 1185 BCE he had his own military territory coincided with the military defensive move of Othniel.

"Now these are the nations which YHWH left,... Namely, 5 sarnê of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the 

Sidonians,

 and the Hivites that dwelt in Mt. Lebanon, from Mt. Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. ...to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of YHWH, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 

And they...gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. And... did evil in the sight of YHWH, and forgot YHWH their God, and served Baalim and the Asheroth [groves]. Therefore ...He sold them into the hand of 

Chushanrishathaim king of Aram Naharim: 

and the descendants of Israel served Chushanrishathaim 8 years. And when the descendants of Israel cried unto YHWH, YHWH raised up ...Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. And the Breath of YHWH came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and YHWH delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Aram into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. 

And the land had rest 40 years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died." -Judges 3:1,3,4,6-11

In this chapter we can discover that Caleb (contemporary of Joshua), his nephew Othniel, and king Chushanrishathaim (died after 1185 BCE) lived during the time when 5 seren (leaders) of Philistines had entered Sidon, Lebanon, Hermon, Hamath, & Canaan, and that was when Rameses III (1186-1155) was reigning in Egypt. In 1184 BCE king Rameses III reported the presence of Peleset (Philistines) and Tjekru (Dor).

During the exodus of Israel, YHWH (likely by Moses) 

"... brought up... out... Philistines from Caphtor,..." - Amos 9:7 

Thus, the secret passage of hundreds of hundreds of Peleset (Philistines) from 1190 to 1189 BCE until king Rameses III discovered it in 1184 BCE was not a hard thing to think.

According to the report of Judges, Hebrews this time married those Sidonians, Philistines, Hittites, Canaanites, and Hivites (Guaeans) and they gave their daughters to their sons and worshipped their Baal & Asheroth (idol groves). This gives us an idea that there were Sidonians, Guaeans (of Cilicia), (Peleset/ancestors of Philistines), and Shasu tribes who intermarried with the Hebrews, particularly with Asherites (of Phoenicia), Danites (of Laish, Ekron, Joffa), and Issacharites (of Dor & Issachar). 

Archaeologically & historically this was the time when king Rameses III officially reported that tens of thousand of these Peleset (Philistines ancestors), Denye (Danites), Weshesh (Asherites), Shakaresh (Issacharites), and Tjekru (Dor) were trying to journey in Syria-Palestine and later fought the pharaoh.

Othniel was the man who led to fought City of Sepher after Caleb challenged all men that he would let marry his daughter Achsah to a man who could defeat Debir in circa 1184 BCE.

Caleb was more or less 85 years old when this happened more than two decades before the 1st celebration of Jubilee (Numbers 36:4). The year zero of historical Israelite jubilee was in 1210 BCE when there was a great famine & terrible drought around Mediterranean.

"And Caleb said, He who smits Kirjathsepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. 

And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife." -Joshua 15:16-17

"Then the descendants of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, You know the thing that YHWH said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and you in Kadesh-barnea. 

Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of YHWH sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. And now, behold, YHWH has kept me alive, as he said, these 45 years, even since YHWH spoke this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day 85 years old. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof YHWH spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be YHWH will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as YHWH said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war." -Joshua 14:6-7,10,12-13,15

It was in 1228 BCE when Moses sent Caleb as one of the scouts to spy Canaan. And after 45 years, in around 1184 BCE, Caleb was asking Joshua for Arba (Hebron). It was near this time that Othniel defeated Debir (Sepher).

Joshua 15:13-15,63

"And [Joshua] gave unto Caleb Ben-Jephunneh a part among the descendants of Judah, according to the commandment of YHWH to Joshua, even the city of Arba the founder of Anak [city], which is Hebron. And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, 

Sheshai, 

and Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak. And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-Sepher. As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the descendants of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the descendants of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day." -Joshua 15:13-15,63

The existence of Cushan-ra-im (Cushanrishathaim) as far as the official records of king Rameses the Great (1279-1213) and Rameses III (1186-1155 BCE) are concerned was during the time of the "Alliance [Qishon] of Jabin" and "Band [Qweshe'] of Deborah."

 This was also in the time of Joshua (1248-1138 BCE), the contemporary of Caleb, the uncle of Othniel (fl. 1185-1144 BCE).

It was Joshua (1248-1138 BCE), with the people of Yhw (Yahweh) who built the altar in Mt. Ebal according to the commandment of Moses.

"Then Joshua built an altar unto YHWH God of Israel in 

Mt. Ebal, 

As Moses the servant of YHWH commanded the descendants of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an 

altar

 of whole stones, over which no man has lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto YHWH, and sacrificed peace offerings." -Joshua 8:30-31