NKJV Chronological Study Bible - The Conquest of Canaan

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x
Reading Theological History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii
Rearranging the Bibles Canonical Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
New King James Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix
EPOCH 1
Before the Patriarchs (Creation2000 B.C.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The Beginnings of Human Civilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
EPOCH 2
The Patriarchs, Israels Ancestors (20001500 B.C.) . . . . . . . . . . 18

The Changing of the Empires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Egypt in the Middle Bronze Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
EPOCH 3
The Rise of a Unified People (15001200 B.C.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Egypt and the Exodus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
The Conquest of Canaan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
EPOCH 4
From Tribes to a Nation (1200930 B.C.). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

A Tribal Confederation in Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
The United Monarchy in Israel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
EPOCH 5
The Fall of Two Nations (930586 B.C.) .

The Divided Monarchy in Israel . . . . .
The Neo-Assyrian Empire . . . . . . . .
The Neo-Babylonian Empire . . . . . . .
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515
517
576
688
EPOCH 6
Exile and Return (586332 B.C.). . .

Exile in Babylon . . . . . . . . . . .
Wisdom in the Ancient Near East .
The Persian Empire . . . . . . . . .
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839
841
895
940
EPOCH 7
Between the Two Testaments (33237 B.C.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1057

The Greek Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1059
The Roman Empire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1073
EPOCH 8
The Coming of the Messiah (37 B.C.A.D. 30)

Introductions to Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . .
Early Lives of John the Baptist and Jesus . .
Beginning of Jesus Ministry . . . . . . . . .
The Galilean Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . .
From Galilee to Jerusalem . . . . . . . . . . .
Jesus Final Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Final Ministry in Judea . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jesus Final Week in Jerusalem . . . . . . . .
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1076
1078
1079
1089
1096
1158
1165
1183
1195
EPOCH 9
The Church Age (A.D. 30100). . . . . . .

The Gospel to the Jews. . . . . . . . . . .
The Gospel to the Gentiles . . . . . . . .
The Gospel to the Gentile World . . . . .
The Gospel from Jerusalem to Rome . . .
Apocalyptic Writings and the End Time
Cultural and Historical Topics

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Concordance. . . . . . . . . . .
Index of Scripture Passages .
Daily Reading Plans . . . . . .
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1249
1251
1263
1272
1344
1408
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1431
1449
1469
1665
1671
JOSHUA 1:1 | JOSHUA 1:11
229
1500 to 1200 B . C .
conquests appear to have been by peaceful assimTHE CONQUEST OF CANAAN

ilation of the native peoples into the Israelites own
Historians disagree as to when the Israelites left
Egypt (see The Exodus Begun at Ex. 12:37). The
group, such as happened with the Gibeonites (Josh. 9).
same historians disagree as to when Israel arrived
The danger of such assimilation is that the
in Canaan. Some place the invasion at the end of
Israelites faith would be mixed with the religious
the 15th century; others at the end of the 13th.
beliefs and practices of Canaan. The Canaanites
Archaeological support has been
recognized many deities, two of the
claimed for both dates, such as evimore prominent ones being El, the
The conquest of
dence that Jericho was destroyed at
great sky god, and his female consort
Palestine was not
this or that era. But assigning specific
Asherah. By the time of the conquest,
dates to physical remains is difficult,
the worship of El had been overshadthe unstoppable,
and, ultimately, archaeology has not
owed by worship of a warrior storm
crushing tide of
solved the question.
god, Baal.
What can be agreed on, from eviCanaanite worship practices includinvaders that is
dence both within and outside of the
ed child sacrifice and fertility rites,
sometimes pictured. often involving relations with cult
Bible, is that the conquest of Palestine
was not the unstoppable, crushing
prostitutes. Images of the gods were
tide of invaders that is sometimes pictured. Despite
common in worship, as were the wooden poles or
sweeping statements that Joshua conquered the
objects called Asherim after the goddess Asherah.
whole land (e.g., Josh. 11:16, 23), there are also
Much of Israels religious history dealt with the
descriptions of the land that remains . . . to be
conflict between worshipers of the one God of the
possessed (e.g., Josh. 13:16). Some of the Israelite
Exodus and worshipers of these Canaanite deities.
TRANSITION
The Book of Joshua

Although the Book of Joshua tells of Israels
conquest of Canaan, it is not a typical war
story: little space is given to accounts of actual fighting. Indeed, almost half of the book
(chs. 1321) details how the land would be
divided between Israels twelve tribes. Clearly
the focus is Gods fulfillment of His promise of
land instead of on feats of arms.
Gods command that Israel destroy every
creature living in the land (Josh. 6:17, 21) poses
a difficult ethical issue. This command is moderated somewhat in Josh. 8:2 but is still understandably troubling to many readers. We
should not minimize the ethical question, but
should understand that the reason given for
the command involves the abominable and
idolatrous Canaanite lifestyle. God ordains this
total destruction so that Israel would not adopt
the religious practices of the Canaanites (see
Deut. 20:1618).
The book concludes on the same theme. In
a covenant renewal ceremony (chs. 23; 24),
Joshua demands that Israel choose whether
they will follow God or the gods of Canaan.
Joshua 1:15:15
Joshua
Gods Commission to Joshua
:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the
LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to
Joshua the son of Nun, Moses assistant, saying:
2Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise,
go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the
land which I am giving to themthe children of

Israel. 3Every place that the sole of your foot will
tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
4From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as
the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land
of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the
going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
5No man shall be able to stand before you all the
days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will
be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
6Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land
which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7Only
be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses
My servant commanded you; do not turn from it
to the right hand or to the left, that you may
prosper wherever you go. 8This Book of the Law
shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall
meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous,
and then you will have good success. 9Have I not
commanded you? Be strong and of good courage;
do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD
your God is with you wherever you go.
The Order to Cross the Jordan
10Then Joshua commanded the officers of the
people, saying, 11Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, Prepare provisions for
yourselves, for within three days you will cross
over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which
the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
230
12And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and

half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying,
13Remember the word which Moses the servant
of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD
your God is giving you rest and is giving you
this land. 14Your wives, your little ones, and your
livestock shall remain in the land which Moses
gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall
pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty
men of valor, and help them, 15until the LORD has
given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they
also have taken possession of the land which the
LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it,
which Moses the LORDs servant gave you on this
side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.
16So they answered Joshua, saying, All that
you command us we will do, and wherever you
send us we will go. 17Just as we heeded Moses in
all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD
your God be with you, as He was with Moses.
18 Who ever rebels against your command and
does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong
and of good courage.
Rahab Hides the Spies

1Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two
men from Acacia Grovea to spy secretly, saying, Go, view the land, especially Jericho.
So they went, and came to the house of a
harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. 2And it
was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold,
men have come here tonight from the children of
Israel to search out the country.
3So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring out the men who have come to you,
who have entered your house, for they have come
to search out all the country.
4Then the woman took the two men and hid
them. So she said, Yes, the men came to me, but
I did not know where they were from. 5And it
happened as the gate was being shut, when it
was dark, that the men went out. Where the men
went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you
may overtake them. 6(But she had brought them
up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks
of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.)
7Then the men pursued them by the road to the
Architecture & Building

Like medieval castles, some cities of Palestine were surrounded with high, elaborate walls. Rahabs house was part of the
wall of Jericho and she had a window facing out (Josh. 2:15). It would have been
high enough above ground level to keep
anyone from climbing in.
Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who

pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.
8Now before they lay down, she came up to
them on the roof, 9and said to the men: I know
that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.
10For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of
Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the
Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan,
Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11And
as soon as we heard these things, our hearts
melted; neither did there remain any more courage
in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God,
He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.
12Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the
LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you
also will show kindness to my fathers house, and
give me a true token, 13and spare my father, my
mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they
have, and deliver our lives from death.
14So the men answered her, Our lives for
yours, if none of you tell this business of ours.
And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the
land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.
15Then she let them down by a rope through
the window, for her house was on the city wall;
she dwelt on the wall. 16And she said to them,
Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you.
Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.
17So the men said to her: We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made
us swear, 18unless, when we come into the land,
you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window
through which you let us down, and unless you
bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and
all your fathers household to your own home.
19So it shall be that whoever goes outside the
doors of your house into the street, his blood shall
be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And
whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall
be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20And if
you tell this business of ours, then we will be
free from your oath which you made us swear.
21Then she said, According to your words, so
be it. And she sent them away, and they departed.
And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.
22They departed and went to the mountain,
and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the
way, but did not find them. 23So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed
over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and
told him all that had befallen them. 24And they
2:1 aHebrew Shittim
231
said to Joshua, Truly the LORD has delivered all the

land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants
of the country are fainthearted because of us.
Israel Crosses the Jordan
1Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and
they set out from Acacia Grovea and came to
the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and
lodged there before they crossed over. 2So it was,
after three days, that the officers went through
the camp; 3and they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of
the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites,
bearing it, then you shall set out from your place
and go after it. 4Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by
measure. Do not come near it, that you may
know the way by which you must go, for you
have not passed this way before.
5And Joshua said to the people, Sanc tify
yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you. 6Then Joshua spoke to the
priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant
and cross over before the people.
So they took up the ark of the covenant and
went before the people.
7And the LORD said to Joshua, This day I
will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel,
that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so
I will be with you. 8 You shall command the
priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying,
When you have come to the edge of the water of
the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.
9 So Joshua said to the children of Is rael,
Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your
God. 10And Joshua said, By this you shall know
that the living God is among you, and that He will
without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and
the Jebusites: 11Behold, the ark of the covenant of
the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you
into the Jordan. 12Now therefore, take for yourselves
twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from
every tribe. 13And it shall come to pass, as soon as
the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark
of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in
the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down
from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.
14So it was, when the people set out from
their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the
priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the
people, 15and as those who bore the ark came to
the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore
the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the
3:1 aHebrew Shittim
1500 to 1200 B . C .
Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole

time of harvest), 16that the waters which came
down from upstream stood still, and rose in a
heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into
the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and
were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite
Jericho. 17Then the priests who bore the ark of
the covenant of the L ORD stood firm on dry
ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel
crossed over on dry ground, until all the people
had crossed completely over the Jordan.
Beliefs & Ideas
The ark of the covenant resembles in some
ways furniture found in both ancient Egypt
and Palestine. Probably the ark represented
the footstool of Gods throne. Although by
design it was portable (Josh. 3:6), it was not
a charm or talisman that could guarantee the favor of
God for those who possessed it or took it into battle.
The Memorial Stones

1And it came to pass, when all the people had
completely crossed over the Jordan, that the
LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: 2Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from
every tribe, 3and command them, saying, Take
for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the
midst of the Jordan, from the place where the
priests feet stood firm. You shall carry them over
with you and leave them in the lodging place
where you lodge tonight.
4Then Joshua called the twelve men whom
he had appointed from the children of Israel, one
man from every tribe; 5and Joshua said to them:
Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God
into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you
take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the
number of the tribes of the children of Israel,
6that this may be a sign among you when your
children ask in time to come, saying, What do
these stones mean to you? 7Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut
off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD;
when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of
the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be
for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.
8And the children of Israel did so, just as
Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones
from the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had
spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the
tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them
over with them to the place where they lodged,
and laid them down there. 9Then Joshua set up
twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the
place where the feet of the priests who bore the
ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to
this day.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
232
CIRCUMCISED WITH FLINT KNIVES (JOSH. 5:3)

Long before humans learned how to write or even make cooking vessels
from clay, they discovered that flint, a kind of stone, could be split into
smaller sharp and, thus, more useable pieces. Often large stones, called
cores, were struck with other stones, or sometimes short sticks were
placed on the workers chest and pressed onto the core. Eventually,
small pieces were split off of the larger cores.
A variety of tools were created with this method. The most common creation was a long narrow blade used for a knife. Other tools created were scrapers used to remove the flesh from hides, drills for poking
holes, and knives. One of the most unusual designs was a special crafted
blade that was fitted on a curved wooden base, used as a sickle.
After the smaller pieces were forced from the core, they were sharpened by striking the edges with other flints. Flints can be sharper than
scalpels. Modern surgeons have been known to use them in surgery.
In Gilgal, the Israelites first camp after crossing the Jordan, this ageold tool, the flint knife, was used to perform the sacred ceremony of circumcision (Josh. 4:19; 5:2, 3). Such a tool was commonly available and
would have been sharper than any other cutting tool.
10So
the priests who bore the ark stood in

the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to
speak to the people, according to all that Moses
had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried
and crossed over. 11Then it came to pass, when
all the people had completely crossed over, that
the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over
in the presence of the people. 12And the men of
Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of
Manasseh crossed over armed before the children
of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. 13About
forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day the L ORD ex alted Joshua in the
sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they
had feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15Then the L ORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
16Command the priests who bear the ark of the
Testimony to come up from the Jordan. 17Joshua
therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come
up from the Jordan. 18And it came to pass, when
the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of
the LORD had come from the midst of the Jordan,
and the soles of the priests feet touched the dry
land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to
their place and overflowed all its banks as before.
19Now the people came up from the Jordan
on the tenth day of the first month, and they
camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.
Beliefs & Ideas
The symbolism of removing the shoes in a
holy place (Josh. 5:15) is followed today in
Islamic mosques, where shoes may not be
worn. In the 19th century A.D. it was required
to be barefoot before the Emperor of Ethiopia. Perhaps shoes seem to represent the
uncleanness of the workaday world.
20And
those twelve stones which they took out of

the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 21Then he
spoke to the children of Israel, saying: When
your children ask their fathers in time to come,
saying, What are these stones? 22then you shall
let your children know, saying, Israel crossed
over this Jordan on dry land; 23for the LORD your
God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you
until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God
did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us
until we had crossed over, 24that all the peoples
of the earth may know the hand of the LORD,
that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your
God forever.
The Second Generation Circumcised
1So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan,
and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by
the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until wea had crossed over, that their heart
melted; and there was no spirit in them any
longer because of the children of Israel.
2At that time the LORD said to Joshua, Make
flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons
of Is rael again the second time. 3So Joshua
made flint knives for himself, and circumcised
the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.a
4And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised
them: All the people who came out of Egypt who
were males, all the men of war, had died in the
wilderness on the way, after they had come out
of Egypt. 5For all the people who came out had
been circumcised, but all the people born in the
5:1 aFollowing Kethib; Qere, some Hebrew manuscripts and

editions, Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read they.
5:3 aHebrew Gibeath Haaraloth
233
wilderness, on the way as they came out of

Egypt, had not been circumcised. 6For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who
came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they
did not obey the voice of the LORDto whom the
LORD swore that He would not show them the
land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers
that He would give us, a land flowing with milk
and honey.a 7Then Joshua circumcised their sons
whom He raised up in their place; for they were
uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.
8So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places
in the camp till they were healed. 9Then the LORD
said to Joshua, This day I have rolled away the
reproach of Egypt from you. Therefore the
name of the place is called Gilgala to this day.
10Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day
of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho.
11And they ate of the produce of the land on the
day after the Passover, unleavened bread and
parched grain, on the very same day. 12Then the
manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the
produce of the land; and the children of Israel no
longer had manna, but they ate the food of the
land of Canaan that year.
The Commander of the Army of the LORD
13And it came to pass, when Joshua was by
Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword
drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and
said to Him, Are You for us or for our adversaries?
5:6 aExodus 3:8
5:9 aLiterally Rolling
1500 to 1200 B . C .
14So
He said, No, but as Commander of the

army of the LORD I have now come.
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and
wor shiped, and said to Him, What does my
Lord say to His servant?
15Then the Commander of the LORDs army
said to Joshua, Take your sandal off your foot,
for the place where you stand is holy. And
Joshua did so.
TRANSITION
Conquering the Canaanite Cities

The detailed accounts in chs. 15 of the
preparation, the Jordan crossing, and the
camp at Gilgal show Israel mobilized to
enter the land. The crossing of the Jordan
and the Passover celebration are dated in
the 1st month (Josh. 4:19; 5:10), suggesting
that Joshua readied the people in less than
two months after Moses death. The conquest would have begun, then, around
either 1405 B.C. or 1234 B.C. (see The Death
of Moses at Deut. 34:1).
The conquest itself is described in three
campaigns or stages: the thrust into central
Canaan (Josh. 6:18:35), the southern campaign (9:110:43), and the northern campaign (11:115). The first stage relates the
destruction of Jericho and Ai. Stages two
and three present the long and complex military campaigns against coalitions of
Canaanite cities.
The reader could easily assume that the
whole operation took only a short time,
whereas the process actually lasted several
years. And even then the conquest was not
complete (13:1).The campaigns are reported
briefly in order to emphasize Gods giving,
rather than Israels taking, the land. See The
Early Years of Conquest at Josh. 14:6.
Joshua 6:114:5
WHEN THE HEAVENS GO TO WAR (JOSH. 5:1315)

Joshua met the Commander of Gods army, who spoke for God whom He served (Josh. 5:1315). Being
aware that he had, in effect, met God in this divine servant, Joshuas reaction was to bow down and worship
the heavenly being. The Commanders instructions for Joshua to remove his sandals reminds us of the same
command to Moses at the burning bush (Ex. 3:5).
That heaven should have its own army would not have seemed strange in the ancient world. While
there were specific gods and goddesses of warfare, entire armies of gods could be found in the mythology of
the ancient Near East, serving the desires of their superior gods. Mesopotamian myths of the 2nd and 1st
millenniums B.C. describe heavenly armies waging war against both divine and human enemies. In the Babylonian epic, Enuma Elish, the god Marduk conquers the army of the goddess Tiamat.
Human wars were fought under the direction of the deities of the land over which a king reigned. The
ancients believed that wars were not just between human armies, but also between heavenly armies. The patron deities of the rival states had their own armies to back their people.
Joshua believed that he would not be fighting alone. Egyptian letters from the Amarna period
(c. 13601333 B.C.) reflect the belief that the king of Egypt went to war as part of a divine army. In a similar
fashion, Joshua, having been asked by God to take the Promised Land, met his heavenly counterpart. The
notification I have now come (Josh. 5:14) informed Joshua that the human conquest of the land was only a
part of the real action. Crucial events of the battle would take place in heaven.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
234
Joshua
The Destruction of Jericho
:1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because
of the children of Israel; none went out, and
none came in. 2And the LORD said to Joshua: See!
I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and
the mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march
around the city, all you men of war; you shall go
all around the city once. This you shall do six
days. 4And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven
times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5It
shall come to pass, when they make a long blast
with the rams horn, and when you hear the
sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall
shout with a great shout; then the wall of the
city will fall down flat. And the people shall go
up every man straight before him.
6 Then Joshua the son of Nun called the
priests and said to them, Take up the ark of the
covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark of the LORD.
7And he said to the people, Proceed, and march
around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the LORD.
8So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the
people, that the seven priests bearing the seven
trumpets of rams horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of
the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9The
armed men went before the priests who blew the
trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark,
while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 10Now Joshua had commanded the people,
saying, You shall not shout or make any noise
with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of
your mouth, until the day I say to you, Shout!
Then you shall shout. 11So he had the ark of the
LORD circle the city, going around it once. Then
they came into the camp and lodged in the camp.
12And Joshua rose early in the morning, and
the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13Then
seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams
horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the
armed men went before them. But the rear guard
came after the ark of the LORD, while the priests
Beliefs & Ideas

Lev. 27:28, 29 explains that what is accursed (Josh. 6:18) has passed out of human
hands and into the jurisdiction of God. This
cursing or devotion to God, expressed
by the Hebrew word herem, is not a practice
that can be applied outside the specific references of the Old Testament. It is little
known outside these biblical passages.
continued blowing the trumpets. 14And the second day they marched around the city once and
returned to the camp. So they did six days.
15But it came to pass on the seventh day that
they rose early, about the dawning of the day,
and marched around the city seven times in the
same manner. On that day only they marched
around the city seven times. 16And the seventh
time it happened, when the priests blew the
trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: Shout,
for the LORD has given you the city! 17Now the
city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction,
it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot
shall live, she and all who are with her in the
house, because she hid the messengers that we
sent. 18And you, by all means abstain from the
accursed things, lest you become accursed when
you take of the accursed things, and make the
camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19But all
the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and
iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come
into the treasury of the LORD.
20So the people shouted when the priests blew
the trumpets. And it happened when the people
heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people
shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down
flat. Then the people went up into the city, every
man straight before him, and they took the city.
21And they utterly destroyed all that was in the
city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and
sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
22But Joshua had said to the two men who
had spied out the country, Go into the harlots
house, and from there bring out the woman and
all that she has, as you swore to her. 23And the
young men who had been spies went in and
brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her
brothers, and all that she had. So they brought
out all her relatives and left them outside the
camp of Israel. 24But they burned the city and all
that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold,
and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into
the treasury of the house of the L ORD. 25And
Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her fathers
household, and all that she had. So she dwells in
Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers
whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26Then Joshua charged them at that time,
saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD who
rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay
its foundation with his firstborn, and with his
youngest he shall set up its gates.
27So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame
spread throughout all the country.
Defeat at Ai
1But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the ac cursed things, for
235
1500 to 1200 B . C .
ACCURSED AND UNDER THE BAN (JOSH. 7:1)

All of the inhabitants of Jericho, humans and animals, were killed as a sacrifice to God. They were doomed
by the LORD to destruction (Josh. 6:17). In addition, all of Jerichos property was placed off limits to the Israelites and destroyed, except for items of iron, bronze, silver and gold, which went into the sacred treasury
(6:18, 19). All of these thingspeople, property, valuableswere considered accursed. The Hebrew word
translated accursed referred to things that were completely destroyed or set apart for sacred use.
Accursed things were given to God. Of course, the items were not given to God physically, but rather by
being totally destroyed or dedicated to sacred use. They were kept from the Israelites. They were for them
accursed items. By not taking these items for themselves, the Israelites were acknowledging that such
things belonged to God. God was the real conqueror of the city. Jericho was a kind of tithe, the first city
conquered in the Promised Land. Its possessions, therefore, belonged to God.
Achans sin (Josh. 7:1) was that he took a garment from Jericho, even though he knew that everything
in Jericho had been dedicated to God. He thus stole from God. By taking an accursed item, he himself became cursed.
This same Hebrew word for accursed is translated the curse in Is. 43:28. Israel (Jacob) would be given
to the curse. The Israelites had sinned against God, and would now themselves be dedicated to Him through
their coming destruction.
Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi,a the

son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the
accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned
against the children of Israel.
2Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai,
which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of
Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, Go up and
spy out the country. So the men went up and
spied out Ai. 3And they returned to Joshua and
said to him, Do not let all the people go up, but
let about two or three thousand men go up and
attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for
the people of Ai are few. 4So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but
they fled before the men of Ai. 5And the men of
Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they
chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent;
therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
6Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the
earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until
evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put
dust on their heads. 7And Joshua said, Alas,
Lord G OD , why have You brought this people
over the Jordan at allto deliver us into the hand
of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had
been content, and dwelt on the other side of the
Jordan! 8O Lord, what shall I say when Israel
tur ns its back before its enemies? 9 For the
Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land
will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our
name from the earth. Then what will You do for
Your great name?
The Sin of Achan
10So the LORD said to Joshua: Get up! Why do
you lie thus on your face? 11Israel has sinned, and
they have also transgressed My covenant which I
7:1 aCalled Zimri in 1 Chronicles 2:6
commanded them. For they have even taken some

of the accursed things, and have both stolen and
deceived; and they have also put it among their
own stuff. 12Therefore the children of Israel could
not stand before their enemies, but turned their
backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with
you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed
from among you. 13Get up, sanctify the people, and
say, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because
thus says the LORD God of Israel: There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot
stand before your enemies until you take away the
accursed thing from among you. 14In the morning
therefore you shall be brought according to your
tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the LORD
takes shall come according to families; and the
family which the LORD takes shall come by households; and the household which the LORD takes
shall come man by man. 15Then it shall be that he
who is taken with the accursed thing shall be
burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he
has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.
TIME CAPSULE
12431207
1243 to 1234 B.C.

Tukulti-Ninurta I, king of Assyria
1240
Hittite Empire declines and vanishes

by 1180 B.C.
1235
Israelites reach the plains of Moab

(based on late Exodus; Num. 22:1)
1235
Aaron dies on Mount Hor (late Exodus;

Num. 33:38)
1235
Moses is buried in Moab (late Exodus;

Deut. 34:5, 6)
1234
Joshua leads Israelite conquest of Canaan

(based on late Exodus)
1500 to 1200 B . C .
236
16So Joshua rose early in the morning and

brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17He brought the clan of Judah,
and he took the family of the Zarhites; and he
brought the family of the Zarhites man by man,
and Zabdi was taken. 18Then he brought his
household man by man, and Achan the son of
Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the
tribe of Judah, was taken.
19Now Joshua said to Achan, My son, I beg
you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and
make confession to Him, and tell me now what
you have done; do not hide it from me.
20And Achan answered Joshua and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21When I saw
among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment,
two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of
gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and
took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth
in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.
22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to
the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with
the silver under it. 23And they took them from the
midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to
all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. 24Then Joshua, and all Israel with
him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the
garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent,
and all that he had, and they brought them to the
Valley of Achor. 25And Joshua said, Why have
you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this
day. So all Israel stoned him with stones; and
they burned them with fire after they had stoned
them with stones.
26Then they raised over him a great heap of

stones, still there to this day. So the LORD turned
from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the
name of that place has been called the Valley of
Achora to this day.
The Fall of Ai
1Now the L ORD said to Joshua: Do not be
afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people
of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I
have given into your hand the king of Ai, his
people, his city, and his land. 2And you shall do
to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its
king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take
as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the
city behind it.
3So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to
go up against Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by
night. 4And he commanded them, saying: Behold,
you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the
city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of
you be ready. 5Then I and all the people who are
with me will approach the city; and it will come
about, when they come out against us as at the
first, that we shall flee before them. 6For they will
come out after us till we have drawn them from
the city, for they will say, They are fleeing before
us as at the first. Therefore we will flee before
them. 7Then you shall rise from the ambush and
seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver
it into your hand. 8And it will be, when you have
taken the city, that you shall set the city on fire.
According to the commandment of the LORD you
shall do. See, I have commanded you.
9Joshua therefore sent them out; and they
went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel
and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged
that night among the people. 10Then Joshua rose
up early in the morning and mustered the people,
and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the
people to Ai. 11And all the people of war who were
with him went up and drew near; and they came
before the city and camped on the north side of
Ai. Now a valley lay between them and Ai. 12So he
took about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of
the city. 13And when they had set the people, all
the army that was on the north of the city, and
its rear guard on the west of the city, Joshua
went that night into the midst of the valley.
14Now it happened, when the king of Ai saw
it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early
and went out against Israel to battle, he and all
his people, at an appointed place before the plain.
But he did not know that there was an ambush
7:26 aLiterally Trouble
237
against him behind the city. 15And Joshua and all

Israel made as if they were beaten before them,
and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16So all
the people who were in Ai were called together to
pursue them. And they pursued Joshua and were
drawn away from the city. 17There was not a man
left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel.
So they left the city open and pursued Israel.
18Then the LORD said to Joshua, Stretch out
the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I
will give it into your hand. And Joshua stretched
out the spear that was in his hand toward the
city. 19So those in ambush arose quickly out of
their place; they ran as soon as he had stretched
out his hand, and they entered the city and took
it, and hurried to set the city on fire. 20And when
the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and
behold, the smoke of the city ascended to
heaven. So they had no power to flee this way or
that way, and the people who had fled to the
wilderness turned back on the pursuers.
21Now when Joshua and all Israel saw that the
ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of
the city ascended, they turned back and struck
down the men of Ai. 22Then the others came out of
the city against them; so they were caught in the
midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that
side. And they struck them down, so that they let
none of them remain or escape. 23But the king of
Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
24And it came to pass when Israel had made
an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the
field, in the wilderness where they pursued them,
and when they all had fallen by the edge of the
sword until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck it with the
edge of the sword. 25So it was that all who fell
that day, both men and women, were twelve thousandall the people of Ai. 26For Joshua did not
draw back his hand, with which he stretched out
the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the
inhabitants of Ai. 27Only the livestock and the
spoil of that city Israel took as booty for themselves, according to the word of the LORD which
He had commanded Joshua. 28So Joshua burned
Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation to
this day. 29And the king of Ai he hanged on a
tree until evening. And as soon as the sun was
down, Joshua commanded that they should take
his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a
great heap of stones that remains to this day.
Joshua Renews the Covenant
30Now Joshua built an altar to the LORD God
of Israel in Mount Ebal, 31as Moses the servant of
8:31 aDeuteronomy 27:5, 6
1500 to 1200 B . C .
the LORD had commanded the children of Israel,

as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses:
an altar of whole stones over which no man has
wielded an iron tool.a And they offered on it burnt
offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32And there, in the presence of the children
of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law
of Moses, which he had written. 33Then all Israel,
with their elders and officers and judges, stood on
either side of the ark before the priests, the
Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the
LORD, the stranger as well as he who was born
among them. Half of them were in front of Mount
Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal,
as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded
before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
34And afterward he read all the words of the law,
the blessings and the cursings, according to all
that is written in the Book of the Law. 35There
was not a word of all that Moses had commanded
which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and
the strangers who were living among them.
The Treaty with the Gibeonites
1And it came to pass when all the kings who
were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills
and in the lowland and in all the coasts of the
Great Sea toward Leb a nonthe Hittite, the
The Conquest of Canaan

(Central and Southern Campaigns)
From the camp at Gilgal, Joshua launched two campaigns.
Jericho fell in the central campaign, which continued with
an ambush of Bethel and Ai. Joshua launched the southern
campaign against the Amorites assembled near Gibeon,
and continued the assault all the way to Debir.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
238
GILGAL, PLACE OF COVENANT (JOSH. 9:6)

Gilgal is a special holy place in the biblical stories. It was there that the newly arrived Israelites were circumcised. This act reestablished them as Gods chosen people (Josh. 4:19; 5:7) and was supposed to prepare
them spiritually for their conquest of Canaan. Gilgal was also where they celebrated their first Passover in
the Promised Land (5:10). The camp at Gilgal (9:6) served as the Israelites base of operations during their
early military activities (Josh. 10:6, 7, 15, 43).
It is not surprising that Gilgal became a cultic center. At a later time both Samuel and Saul name Gilgal
as a place where one went to offer sacrifices (1 Sam. 10:8; 15:21). Understandably, Saul used Gilgal as a place
to intensify nationalistic feelings and loyalty (1 Sam. 11:14, 15). It was there that Saul was made king of Israel.
Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite,

and the Jebusiteheard about it, 2that they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with
one accord.
3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard
what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4they
worked craftily, and went and pretended to be
ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their
donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, 5old
and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their
provision was dry and moldy. 6And they went to
Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and
to the men of Israel, We have come from a far
country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.
7Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites,
Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we
make a covenant with you?
8But they said to Joshua, We are your servants.
And Joshua said to them, Who are you, and
where do you come from?
9So they said to him: From a very far country your servants have come, because of the
name of the LORD your God; for we have heard
of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt, 10and
all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites
who were beyond the Jordanto Sihon king of
Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at
Ashtaroth. 11Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying,
Take provisions with you for the journey, and go
to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us.
12This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to
come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy.
13And these wineskins which we filled were new,
and see, they are torn; and these our garments
and our sandals have become old because of the
very long journey.
14Then the men of Israel took some of their
provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the
LORD. 15So Joshua made peace with them, and
made a covenant with them to let them live; and
the rulers of the congregation swore to them.
16And it happened at the end of three days,
after they had made a covenant with them, that
they heard that they were their neighbors who

dwelt near them. 17Then the children of Israel
journeyed and came to their cities on the third
day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah,
Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim. 18But the children of
Israel did not attack them, because the rulers of
the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD
God of Israel. And all the congregation complained against the rulers.
19Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by the LORD God
of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them.
20This we will do to them: We will let them live,
lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which
we swore to them. 21And the rulers said to them,
Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and
water carriers for all the congregation, as the
rulers had promised them.
22Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke
to them, saying, Why have you deceived us, saying, We are very far from you, when you dwell
near us? 23Now therefore, you are cursed, and none
of you shall be freed from being slaveswoodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.
24So they answered Joshua and said, Be cause your servants were clearly told that the
LORD your God commanded His servant Moses to
give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we
were very much afraid for our lives because of
you, and have done this thing. 25And now, here
we are, in your hands; do with us as it seems
good and right to do to us. 26So he did to them,
and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them.
27And that day Joshua made them woodcutters
and water carriers for the congregation and for
the altar of the L ORD , in the place which He
would choose, even to this day.
The Sun Stands Still
1Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek
king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had
taken Ai and had utterly destroyed itas he had
done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai
and its kingand how the inhabitants of Gibeon
had made peace with Is rael and were among
them, 2that they feared greatly, because Gibeon
10
239
1500 to 1200 B . C .
WHEN GOD LISTENED TO A MAN (JOSH. 10:12, 13)

Joshuas prayer, Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in
the Valley of Aijalon (Josh. 10:12), seems to request that
somehow God stop the sun or perform some other miraculous heavenly event to lengthen the day. Joshua did not
pray late in the evening: the sun over Gibeon would be in
the east, while the moon in the Valley of Aijalon would be
in the west. This positioning of the sun and moon indicates
early morning, and for Joshua to utter a request for a longer
day at that time of day seems unusual.
Joshuas asking the sun and moon to stand still
(10:12) is a request typical of celestial omen texts from
Mesopotamia. These texts are concerned with the 1st day
of the full moon which came at the middle of the month and was observable by the location of the sun and
moon in the early morning on opposite horizons. In Mesopotamian omen texts the sun and moon are asked
to wait on each other, so that they would be on their respective horizons on the 14th day of the month.
When this positioning occurred, it was seen by the Mesopotamians as a sign of good fortune. For them
it indicated that their calculations were accurate, that there would be exactly 30 days in the month, and that
the days themselves would be full-length. On the other hand, when the sun and moon were on their respective horizons on any other day, it was considered a bad omen.
The position of the sun in the east (Gibeon) and moon in the west (Valley of Aijalon) suggests that this
event occurred near the middle of the month. Joshua may be asking God to allow the sun and moon to
stand still (10:12) or wait for each other so that they would be on their horizons on a day other than the
14th day of the month. That would cause the Canaanites to believe that that day was an evil day for fighting
and give the Israelites the upper hand before the battle began. What made this occasion memorable is that
the LORD heeded the voice of a man (10:14). God listened to Joshua, and the sun and moon were positioned for Israels advantagethe LORD fought for Israel.
was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and

because it was greater than Ai, and all its men
were mighty. 3Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram
king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4Come up to me and
help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has
made peace with Joshua and with the children of
Israel. 5Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron,
the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the
king of Eglon, gathered together and went up,
they and all their armies, and camped before
Gibeon and made war against it.
6And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the
camp at Gilgal, saying, Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us,
for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the
mountains have gathered together against us.
7So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all
the people of war with him, and all the mighty
men of valor. 8And the LORD said to Joshua, Do
not fear them, for I have delivered them into your
hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.
9Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. 10So the LORD
routed them before Is rael, killed them with a
great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the
road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them
down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11And it
happened, as they fled before Israel and were on
the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast

down large hailstones from heaven on them as
far as Azekah, and they died. There were more
who died from the hailstones than the children of
Israel killed with the sword.
12Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day
when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before
the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of
Israel:
13
Sun, stand still over Gibeon;

And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.
So the sun stood still,
And the moon stopped,
Till the people had revenge
Upon their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the

sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did
not hasten to go down for about a whole day.
14And there has been no day like that, before it or
after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man;
for the LORD fought for Israel.
15Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with
him, to the camp at Gilgal.
The Amorite Kings Executed
16But these five kings had fled and hidden
themselves in a cave at Makkedah. 17And it was
told Joshua, saying, The five kings have been
found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
240
18So Joshua said, Roll large stones against

the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to guard
them. 19And do not stay there yourselves, but
pursue your enemies, and attack their rear guard.
Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the
L ORD your God has delivered them into your
hand. 20Then it happened, while Joshua and the
children of Israel made an end of slaying them
with a very great slaughter, till they had finished,
that those who escaped entered fortified cities.
21 And all the people returned to the camp, to
Joshua at Makkedah, in peace.
No one moved his tongue against any of the
children of Israel.
22Then Joshua said, Open the mouth of the
cave, and bring out those five kings to me from
the cave. 23And they did so, and brought out
those five kings to him from the cave: the king of
Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.
24 So it was, when they brought out those
kings to Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men
of Israel, and said to the captains of the men of
war who went with him, Come near, put your feet
on the necks of these kings. And they drew near
and put their feet on their necks. 25Then Joshua
said to them, Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed;
be strong and of good courage, for thus the LORD
will do to all your enemies against whom you
fight. 26And afterward Joshua struck them and
killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and
they were hanging on the trees until evening. 27So
it was at the time of the going down of the sun
that Joshua commanded, and they took them down
from the trees, cast them into the cave where they
had been hidden, and laid large stones against the
caves mouth, which remain until this very day.
Culture & Society

Hanging was not a way of putting someone
to death, but a way of exposing the bodies
of those executed (Josh. 10:26). The Law of
Moses did not permit exposure past nightfall, but in many societies up to medieval times
corpses were left exposed for days or weeks.
The Romans exposed thousands of crucified
Jews outside the walls of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
Conquest of the Southland

28On that day Joshua took Makkedah, and
struck it and its king with the edge of the sword.
He utterly destroyed themaall the people who
were in it. He let none remain. He also did to the
king of Makkedah as he had done to the king of
Jericho.
29Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and
all Israel with him, to Libnah; and they fought
against Libnah. 30And the LORD also delivered it
and its king into the hand of Israel; he struck it
and all the people who were in it with the edge of

the sword. He let none remain in it, but did to its
king as he had done to the king of Jericho.
31Then Joshua passed from Libnah, and all
Israel with him, to Lachish; and they encamped
against it and fought against it. 32And the LORD
delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who
took it on the second day, and struck it and all
the people who were in it with the edge of the
sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah. 33Then Horam king of Gezer came up to
help Lachish; and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none remaining.
34From Lachish Joshua passed to Eglon, and
all Israel with him; and they encamped against it
and fought against it. 35They took it on that day
and struck it with the edge of the sword; all the
people who were in it he utterly destroyed that
day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.
36So Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against
it. 37And they took it and struck it with the edge of
the swordits king, all its cities, and all the people
who were in it; he left none remaining, according
to all that he had done to Eglon, but utterly destroyed it and all the people who were in it.
38Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with
him, to Debir; and they fought against it. 39And
he took it and its king and all its cities; they
struck them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the people who were in it. He
left none remaining; as he had done to Hebron, so
he did to Debir and its king, as he had done also
to Libnah and its king.
40 So Joshua conquered all the land: the
mountain country and the Southa and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their
kings; he left none remaining, but ut terly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded. 41And Joshua conquered
them from Kadesh Barnea as far as Gaza, and all
the country of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon.
42All these kings and their land Joshua took at
one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought
for Israel. 43Then Joshua returned, and all Israel
with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
The Northern Conquest
1And it came to pass, when Jabin king of
Hazor heard these things, that he sent to
Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to
the king of Achshaph, 2and to the kings who
were from the north, in the mountains, in the
11
10:28 aFollowing Masoretic Text and most authorities; many

Hebrew manuscripts, some manuscripts of the Septuagint, and
some manuscripts of the Targum read it.
10:40 aHebrew
Negev, and so throughout this book
241
plain south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in

the heights of Dor on the west, 3to the Canaanites
in the east and in the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains,
and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah. 4So they went out, they and all their armies
with them, as many people as the sand that is on
the seashore in multitude, with very many horses
and chariots. 5And when all these kings had met
together, they came and camped together at the
waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
6But the L ORD said to Joshua, Do not be
afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this
time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel.
You shall hamstring their horses and burn their
chariots with fire. 7So Joshua and all the people of
war with him came against them suddenly by the
waters of Merom, and they attacked them. 8And
the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel,
who defeated them and chased them to Greater
Sidon, to the Brook Misrephoth,a and to the Valley
of Mizpah eastward; they attacked them until they
left none of them remaining. 9So Joshua did to
them as the LORD had told him: he hamstrung their
horses and burned their chariots with fire.
10Joshua turned back at that time and took
Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms.
11And they struck all the people who were in it
with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying
11:8 aHebrew Misrephoth Maim
11:13 aHebrew tel, a heap of
successive city ruins
11:16 aHebrew arabah
The Conquest of Canaan

(Northern Campaign)
A large coalition of kings gathered at the waters of Merom
to fight against Joshua. In a surprise attack, Joshuas armies
drove the forces back, some toward Tyre and Sidon, others
toward Kedesh. Joshua divided his forces, destroying
Hazor along the way.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
them. There was none left breathing. Then he

burned Hazor with fire.
12So all the cities of those kings, and all their
kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of
the sword. He utterly destroyed them, as Moses
the servant of the LORD had commanded. 13But
as for the cities that stood on their mounds,a Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only,
which Joshua burned. 14And all the spoil of these
cities and the livestock, the children of Israel
took as booty for themselves; but they struck
every man with the edge of the sword until they
had destroyed them, and they left none breathing. 15As the LORD had commanded Moses his
servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so
Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the
LORD had commanded Moses.
Plants & Animals
Before about 950 B.C. horses were not
used for cavalry in battle, but for pulling
chariots. To hamstring a horse is to cripple
it by cutting the large tendon in the back of
its leg (Josh. 11:6). The destroyed equipment of an enemy is an eloquent sign of
their defeat, since they no longer control
their means of fighting.
Summary of Joshuas Conquests

16Thus Joshua took all this land: the mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen,
the lowland, and the Jordan plainathe mountains of Israel and its lowlands, 17from Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, even as far as Baal Gad
in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon.
He captured all their kings, and struck them
down and killed them. 18Joshua made war a long
time with all those kings. 19There was not a city
that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All
the others they took in battle. 20For it was of the
LORD to harden their hearts, that they should
come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive
no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the
LORD had commanded Moses.
21And at that time Joshua came and cut off
the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron,
from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains
of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel;
Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
22None of the Anakim were left in the land of the
children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in
Gath, and in Ashdod.
23So Joshua took the whole land, according
to all that the L ORD had said to Mo ses; and
Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the
land rested from war.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
242
THE SEA PEOPLES SETTLE IN PHILISTIA (JOSH. 13:2, 3)

The Philistines were a people group whose origins are not clearly known. New Kingdom Egyptian sources from the 13th and 12th centuries B.C. mention them as one of
the Sea Peoples who unsuccessfully invaded Egypt. The inscriptions of Pharaoh
Merenptah (12131203 B.C.) report that when the Libyans attacked Egypt, there were
foreigners from the sea fighting within the ranks of the Libyan armies. Egyptian descriptions of Pharaoh Ramesses battles against the Sea Peoples list the Philistines
among the opponents.
Some scholars believe that the Sea People groups came from the western regions
of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seasfrom Greece and Crete. Cities, regions and
empires fell to these seaborne raiders: Cyprus, north Syria, the Hittite Empire, Ugarit.
The Sea Peoples continued down the eastern Mediterranean coastal areas toward
Canaan until Egypts Ramesses III (11841153 B.C.) stopped their advance in 1175 B.C.
Ramesses did not win decisively. Later Egyptian sources record the settlement of
some of the Sea Peoples in southern Palestine, which was in the Egyptian sphere of influence. The group called Philistines organized a confederation of five major cities:
Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. The Sea Peoples invasion spawned a new
culture in Palestine, one that the Israelites would experience as Gazites, Ashdodites,
Ashkelonites, Gittites, Ekronites (Josh. 13:3).
The Kings Conquered by Moses

1These are the kings of the land whom the
children of Is rael defeated, and whose
land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the River
Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern Jordan plain: 2One king was Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon and ruled half of
Gilead, from Aroer, which is on the bank of the
River Arnon, from the middle of that river, even
as far as the River Jabbok, which is the border of
the Ammonites, 3and the eastern Jordan plain
from the Sea of Chinneroth as far as the Sea of
the Arabah (the Salt Sea), the road to Beth Jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah.
4The other king was Og king of Bashan and his
territory, who was of the remnant of the giants,
who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, 5 and
reigned over Mount Hermon, over Salcah, over all
Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites
and the Maachathites, and over half of Gilead to
the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
6These Moses the servant of the LORD and
the children of Israel had conquered; and Moses
the servant of the LORD had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the
tribe of Manasseh.
12
The Kings Conquered by Joshua

7 And these are the kings of the country
which Joshua and the children of Israel conquered
on this side of the Jordan, on the west, from Baal
Gad in the Valley of Lebanon as far as Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, which Joshua gave to
the tribes of Israel as a possession according to
their divisions, 8in the mountain country, in the
lowlands, in the Jordan plain, in the slopes, in the
wilderness, and in the Souththe Hittites, the
Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the
Pharaoh Merenptah
Hivites, and the Jebusites: 9the king of Jericho,

one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
10the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron,
one; 11 the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of
Lachish, one; 12the king of Eglon, one; the king
of Gezer, one; 13the king of Debir, one; the king
of Geder, one; 14the king of Hormah, one; the
king of Arad, one; 15the king of Libnah, one; the
king of Adullam, one; 16the king of Makkedah,
one; the king of Bethel, one; 17the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; 18the king of
Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; 19the king
of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; 20the king
of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph,
one; 21the king of Taanach, one; the king of
Megiddo, one; 22the king of Kedesh, one; the king
of Jokneam in Carmel, one; 23the king of Dor in
the heights of Dor, one; the king of the people of
Gilgal, one; 24the king of Tirzah, oneall the
kings, thirty-one.
Remaining Land to Be Conquered
1Now Joshua was old, advanced in years.
And the LORD said to him: You are old,
advanced in years, and there remains very much
land yet to be possessed. 2This is the land that
yet remains: all the territory of the Philistines
and all that of the Geshurites, 3from Sihor, which
is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron
northward (which is counted as Canaanite); the
five lords of the Philistinesthe Gazites, the
Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and
the Ekronites; also the Avites; 4from the south, all
the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek, to the
bor der of the Amorites; 5 the land of the
Gebalites,a and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise,
13
13:5 aOr Giblites
243
from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as

the entrance to Hamath; 6all the inhabitants of
the mountains from Lebanon as far as the Brook
Misrephoth,a and all the Sidoniansthem I will
drive out from before the children of Israel; only
divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I
have commanded you. 7Now therefore, divide this
land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half
the tribe of Manasseh.
The Land Divided East of the Jordan
8With the other half-tribe the Reubenites and
the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses had given them, beyond the Jordan eastward,
as Mo ses the servant of the L ORD had given
them: 9from Aroer which is on the bank of the
River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of
the ravine, and all the plain of Medeba as far as
Dibon; 10all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border
of the children of Ammon; 11Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, all
Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah;
12all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned
in Ashtaroth and Edrei, who remained of the
remnant of the giants; for Moses had defeated
and cast out these.
13Nevertheless the children of Israel did not
drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but
the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell
among the Israelites until this day.
14Only to the tribe of Levi he had given no
inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said
to them.
The Land of Reuben
15And Moses had given to the tribe of the
children of Reuben an inheritance according to
their families. 16Their territory was from Aroer,
which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the
city that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the
plain by Medeba; 17Heshbon and all its cities that
are in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal
Meon, 18 Jahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath, 19 Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the mountain
of the valley, 20Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah,
and Beth Jeshimoth 21all the cities of the plain
and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses had
struck with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem,
Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon
dwelling in the country. 22The children of Israel
also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor,
the soothsayer, among those who were killed by
them. 23And the border of the children of Reuben
13:6 aHebrew Misrephoth Maim
1500 to 1200 B . C .
was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reu ben according to
their families, the cities and their villages.
The Land of Gad
24Moses also had given an inheritance to the
tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to
their families. 25Their territory was Jazer, and all
the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which is before Rabbah,
26and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir,
27and in the valley Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as its border, as far as the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth, on
the other side of the Jordan eastward. 28This is
the inheritance of the children of Gad according
to their families, the cities and their villages.
Half the Tribe of Manasseh (East)
29Moses also had given an inheritance to half
the tribe of Manasseh; it was for half the tribe of
the children of Manasseh according to their families: 30Their territory was from Mahanaim, all
Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan,
and all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan,
sixty cities; 31half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and
Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan,
were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir according to their families.
32These are the areas which Moses had distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab
on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward. 33But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given
no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel was their
inheritance, as He had said to them.
The Land Divided West of the Jordan
1These are the areas which the children of
Is rael inherited in the land of Canaan,
which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun,
and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the
children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to
them. 2Their inheritance was by lot, as the LORD
had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the
nine tribes and the half-tribe. 3For Moses had given
the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe
on the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites
he had given no inheritance among them. 4For the
children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and
Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in
the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property.
5As the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.
14
1500 to 1200 B . C .
244
TRANSITION
The Early Years of Conquest

The tradition in Josh. 14 emphasizes Gods
blessings to faithful Caleb. He was 40 years old
when Moses sent him, along with the others, to
spy out the land (Josh. 14:7). That event, recorded in Num. 13:16, is located in the 2nd year of
the Exodus, either 1445 or 1274 B.C. (see The
Book of Numbers at Num. 1:1).
Now Caleb had reached the age of 85 (Josh.
14:10). The passing time of 45 years suggests a
date of around 1400 or 1229 B.C. This point in the
conquest of Canaan was possibly 6 years after
Israels arrival on the plains of Moab in 1406 or
1235 B.C. (see Moab: On the Doorstep of
Canaan at Num. 20:14).
The listing of Calebs age is not meant to pinpoint calendar years. Rather, the example of
Caleb is important for chs. 1324 which narrate
the distribution of the tribal territories and
Joshuas final charge to the tribes. With Caleb
we see both faithfulness to God and fulfillment
of Gods promises. The first inheritance of land
would go to one who had been faithful.
Furthermore, the granting of that inheritance
would fulfill the promise made long before at
the beginning of the Exodus (Num. 14:24).
Joshua 14:624:33
Joshua
Caleb Inherits Hebron
:6 Then the children of Ju dah came to
Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: You know
the word which the LORD said to Moses the man
of God concer ning you and me in Kadesh
Barnea. 7I was forty years old when Moses the
servant of the L ORD sent me from Kadesh
Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back
word to him as it was in my heart. 8Nevertheless
my brethren who went up with me made the
heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed
the LORD my God. 9So Moses swore on that day,
saying, Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your childrens
14
The Wilderness of Zin
forever, because you have wholly followed the

LORD my God. 10And now, behold, the LORD has
kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years,
ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses
while Is rael wan dered in the wilderness; and
now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.
11As yet I am as strong this day as on the day
that Mo ses sent me; just as my strength was
then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. 12Now therefore, give
me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in
that day; for you heard in that day how the
Anakim were there, and that the cities were great
and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with
me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the
LORD said.
13And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron
to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
14Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this
day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of
Israel. 15And the name of Hebron formerly was
Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among
the Anakim).
Then the land had rest from war.
The Land of Judah
1So this was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families:
The border of Edom at the Wilder ness of
Zin southward was the extreme southern boundary. 2And their south ern border began at the
shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces
southward. 3Then it went out to the southern
side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, passed along to
Zin, ascended on the south side of Kadesh
Barnea, passed along to Hezron, went up to
Adar, and went around to Karkaa. 4From there it
passed toward Azmon and went out to the Brook
of Egypt; and the border ended at the sea. This
shall be your southern border.
5The east border was the Salt Sea as far as
the mouth of the Jordan.
15
245
And the border on the northern quarter began at the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan. 6The border went up to Beth Hoglah and
passed north of Beth Arabah; and the border
went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben.
7Then the border went up toward Debir from the
Valley of Achor, and it turned northward toward
Gilgal, which is before the Ascent of Adummim,
which is on the south side of the valley. The border continued toward the waters of En Shemesh
and ended at En Rogel. 8And the border went up
by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom to the southern slope of the Jebusite city (which is Jerusalem).
The border went up to the top of the mountain
that lies before the Valley of Hinnom westward,
which is at the end of the Valley of Rephaima
northward. 9Then the border went around from
the top of the hill to the fountain of the water of
Nephtoah, and extended to the cities of Mount
Ephron. And the border went around to Baalah
(which is Kirjath Jearim). 10 Then the bor der
turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir,
passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the
north (which is Chesalon), went down to Beth
Shemesh, and passed on to Timnah. 11And the
border went out to the side of Ekron northward.
Then the border went around to Shicron, passed
along to Mount Baalah, and extended to Jabneel;
and the border ended at the sea.
12The west border was the coastline of the
Great Sea. This is the boundary of the children
of Judah all around according to their families.
Culture & Society
Arba is reported to be the ancestor of the
people, or tribe, of the Anakim (Josh. 14:15;
15:13). Similarly the nomadic Arabs, or Bedouin, are known by the name of a distant
ancestor. For example, the name Beni Amir
means the sons of Amir. These names do not
mean that a genealogy can be traced back to a
certain person, but that a tribe associates itself
with a certain famous name.
Caleb Occupies Hebron and Debir

13 Now to Ca leb the son of Jephunneh he
gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the L ORD to
Joshua, namely, Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron
(Arba was the father of Anak). 14Caleb drove out
the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15Then
he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir
(formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).
16And Caleb said, He who attacks Kirjath
Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my
daughter as wife. 17So Othniel the son of Kenaz,
15:8 aLiterally Giants
15:40 aOr Lahmam
1500 to 1200 B . C .
the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him

Achsah his daughter as wife. 18Now it was so,
when she came to him, that she persuaded him to
ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from
her donkey, and Caleb said to her, What do you
wish? 19She answered, Give me a bless ing;
since you have given me land in the South, give
me also springs of water. So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
The Cities of Judah
20This was the inheritance of the tribe of the
children of Judah according to their families:
21The cities at the limits of the tribe of the
children of Judah, toward the border of Edom in
the South, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24Ziph,
Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor, Hadattah, Kerioth,
Hezron (which is Hazor), 26Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet,
28Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Bizjothjah, 29Baalah,
Ijim, Ezem, 30Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31Ziklag,
Madmannah, Sansannah, 32Lebaoth, Shilhim,
Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty-nine,
with their villages.
33In the lowland: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah,
34 Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, 35 Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, 36 Sharaim,
Adithaim, Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen
cities with their villages; 37Zenan, Hadashah,
Migdal Gad, 38 Dilean, Mizpah, Jokthe el,
39Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, 40Cabbon, Lahmas, a
Kithlish, 41Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and
Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages;
42Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43Jiphtah, Ashnah, Nezib,
44Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with
their villages; 45Ekron, with its towns and villages; 46from Ekron to the sea, all that lay near
Ashdod, with their villages; 47Ashdod with its
towns and villages, Gaza with its towns and villagesas far as the Brook of Egypt and the
Great Sea with its coastline.
48And in the mountain country: Shamir, Jattir, Sochoh, 49Dannah, Kirjath Sannah (which is
Debir), 50 Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, 51 Goshen,
Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages;
52Arab, Dumah, Eshean, 53Janum, Beth Tappuah,
Aphekah, 54Humtah, Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages;
55Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, 56Jezreel, Jokdeam,
Zanoah, 57Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities
with their villages; 58Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor,
59Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon: six cities
with their villages; 60Kirjath Baal (which is Kirjath
Jearim) and Rabbah: two cities with their villages.
61In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin,
Secacah, 62Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En
Gedi: six cities with their villages.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
246
MERENPTAH, THE SUBDUER OF GEZER (JOSH. 16:10)

Gezer was a major city in central Palestine, strategically located in the hills between the mountains and the coast.
As the Israelites made incursions into Canaan, they were unable to occupy Gezer, and it remained a Canaanitecontrolled city (Josh. 16:10; Judg. 1:29). The Canaanites of Gezer were not so fortunate in facing the
pharaohs of Egypt, though.
In the days before Israels monarchy, two different pharaohs waged victorious campaigns against Gezer.
Thutmose III claims to have captured the city in his first campaign around 1458 B.C. Gezer is one of over 100
city names on Thutmoses victory list inscribed on the walls of the temple of Amon at Karnak. Yet it was another pharaohMerenptahwho became known for his victory over Gezer.
Merenptah (also spelled Merneptah) succeeded the great builder Ramesses II to become the fourth king
of Egypts 19th Dynasty (c. 12131203 B.C.). This monarch appears to have kept the borders of the Egyptian
empire intact. Early in his reign (1210 B.C.) he subdued the city of Gezer, and obtained the title, Subduer of
Gezer. Merenptah claims credit for Gezers destruction in the Israel Stele, a victory inscription that also mentions the vanquishing of Israel.
If there is any connection between the Gezer campaign and the boast against Israel in the stele, it is not
known. Israel may simply have been loosely included in a list of Palestinian names. There is no evidence
that Merenptah actually campaigned against Israel itself.
Although Israel could not conquer Gezer in Joshuas time, the city would later come to the Israelites
through yet another Egyptian pharaoh. Some think that Siamun (978959 B.C.) is the unnamed pharaoh of
1 Kin. 9:16 who captured Gezer and gave it to Israels king Solomon as a wedding present.
63As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive
them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
Ephraim and West Manasseh

1The lot fell to the children of Joseph from
the Jordan, by Jericho, to the waters of Jericho on the east, to the wilder ness that goes up
from Jericho through the mountains to Bethel,
2then went out from Bethel to Luz,a passed along
to the border of the Archites at Ataroth, 3and
went down westward to the boundary of the
Japhletites, as far as the boundary of Lower Beth
Horon to Gezer; and it ended at the sea.
4So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and
Ephraim, took their inheritance.
16
The Land of Ephraim

5The border of the children of Ephraim, according to their families, was thus: The border of
their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth
Addar as far as Upper Beth Horon.
6And the border went out toward the sea on
the north side of Michmethath; then the border
went around eastward to Taanath Shiloh, and
passed by it on the east of Janohah. 7Then it went
down from Janohah to Ataroth and Naarah, a
reached to Jericho, and came out at the Jordan.
8The border went out from Tappuah westward to the Brook Kanah, and it ended at the sea.
This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families. 9The
separate cities for the children of Ephraim were
among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.
10And they did not drive out the Canaanites
who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell
among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.
The Other Half-Tribe of Manasseh (West)
1There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph:
namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the
father of Gilead, because he was a man of war;
therefore he was given Gilead and Bashan. 2And
there was a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children
of Abiezer,a the children of Helek, the children of
Asriel, the children of Shechem, the children of
Hepher, and the children of Shemida; these were
the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph
according to their families.
3But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son
of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Ma nasseh, had no sons, but only daughters. And
these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah,
Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4And they
came near before Eleazar the priest, before
Joshua the son of Nun, and before the rulers, saying, The LORD commanded Moses to give us an
inheritance among our brothers. Therefore, according to the commandment of the LORD, he
gave them an inheritance among their fathers
brothers. 5Ten shares fell to Manasseh, besides
the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on
the other side of the Jordan, 6because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among
his sons; and the rest of Manassehs sons had the
land of Gilead.
7And the territory of Manasseh was from
Asher to Michmethath, that lies east of Shechem;
17
16:2 aSeptuagint reads Bethel (that is, Luz).

16:7 aOr Naaran
(compare 1 Chronicles 7:28)
17:2 aCalled Jeezer in Numbers 26:30
247
and the border went along south to the inhabitants of En Tappuah. 8Manasseh had the land of
Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Ma nasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim.
9And the border descended to the Brook Kanah,
southward to the brook. These cities of Ephraim
are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of
Manasseh was on the north side of the brook;
and it ended at the sea.
10Southward it was Ephraims, northward it
was Manassehs, and the sea was its border. Manassehs territory was adjoining Asher on the
north and Issachar on the east. 11And in Issachar
and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth Shean and its
towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of
Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En Dor and
its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its
towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its
townsthree hilly regions. 12Yet the children of
Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of
those cities, but the Canaanites were determined
to dwell in that land. 13And it happened, when
the children of Israel grew strong, that they put
the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly
drive them out.
More Land for Ephraim and Manasseh
14 Then the children of Jo seph spoke to
Joshua, saying, Why have you given us only one
lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great
people, inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?
15So Joshua answered them, If you are a
great people, then go up to the forest country and
clear a place for yourself there in the land of the
Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of
Ephraim are too confined for you.
16 But the children of Jo seph said, The
mountain country is not enough for us; and all
the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of
Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of
the Valley of Jezreel.
17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Jo sephto Ephraim and Manassehsaying, You
are a great people and have great power; you
shall not have only one lot, 18but the mountain
country shall be yours. Although it is wooded,
you shall cut it down, and its far thest extent
Science & Technology
The iron chariots of Josh. 17:18 is possibly
a way of saying cruel or invincible chariots. A chariot during Joshuas time would
not have had much iron in it. Perhaps the
word refers to some kind of armor protecting the horse or chariot, or to armor or
weapons brandished by the charioteer.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
shall be yours; for you shall drive out the

Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and
are strong.
The Remainder of the Land Divided
1Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh,
and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And
the land was subdued before them. 2But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes
which had not yet received their inheritance.
3Then Joshua said to the children of Israel:
How long will you neglect to go and possess the
land which the LORD God of your fathers has
given you? 4Pick out from among you three men
for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall
rise and go through the land, survey it according
to their inheritance, and come back to me. 5And
they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall
remain in their territory on the south, and the
house of Joseph shall remain in their territory on
the north. 6You shall therefore survey the land in
seven parts and bring the survey here to me, that
I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our
God. 7But the Levites have no part among you,
for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of
Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond
the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant
of the LORD gave them.
8Then the men arose to go away; and Joshua
charged those who went to survey the land, saying, Go, walk through the land, survey it, and
come back to me, that I may cast lots for you here
before the LORD in Shiloh. 9So the men went,
passed through the land, and wrote the survey in
a book in seven parts by cities; and they came to
Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. 10Then Joshua cast
lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD, and there
Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel
according to their divisions.
18
The Land of Benjamin

11Now the lot of the tribe of the children of
Benjamin came up according to their families,
and the territory of their lot came out between
the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.
12Their border on the north side began at the Jordan, and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north, and went up through the mountains westward; it ended at the Wilderness of
Beth Aven. 13The border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz (which is Bethel)
southward; and the border descended to Ataroth
Addar, near the hill that lies on the south side of
Lower Beth Horon.
14Then the border extended around the west
side to the south, from the hill that lies before
1500 to 1200 B . C .
248
JEBUS, CITY OF THE JEBUSITES (JOSH. 18:28)

In Josh. 18:2128 the biblical writer lists the cities that made up the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin. For
one of those cities he adds an identification in parentheses: Jebus (which is Jerusalem). Jebus was the preIsraelite name for Jerusalem, capital city of Israel. The inhabitants of Jebus, the Jebusites, are listed as one
of the Canaanite tribes who dwelt in the region of central Palestine (Ex. 33:2). Some scholars believe that they
were a non-Semitic people, possibly related to the Hurrians.
The name Jebus is not mentioned in any source outside of the Bible. The citys Hebrew name,
Jerusalem, is found in the Egyptian Execration Texts (19th to 18th centuries B.C.) and in the documents from
Tell el-Amarna in Egypt (14th to 13th centuries B.C.). Such evidence suggests that the citys name had been
Jerusalem for several centuries.
Much remains unknown about Jebus. We do not know whether the Jebusites received their name from
the city Jebus, or whether Jebus was named after the Jebusites who dwelt there. When the name was
changed to Jebus is not known, nor whether, at some point, the city could have been called by both names.
It is possible that David restored the earlier name, Jerusalem, when he became king of Israel and captured
the city from the Jebusites (c. 1003 B.C.; 2 Sam. 5:6, 7).
Beth Horon southward; and it ended at Kirjath

Baal (which is Kirjath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west side.
15The south side began at the end of Kirjath
Jearim, and the border extended on the west and
went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah.
16Then the border came down to the end of the
mountain that lies before the Valley of the Son of
Hinnom, which is in the Valley of the Rephaima
on the north, descended to the Valley of Hinnom,
to the side of the Jebusite city on the south, and
descended to En Rogel. 17And it went around
from the north, went out to En Shemesh, and extended toward Geliloth, which is before the Ascent of Adummim, and descended to the stone of
Bohan the son of Reuben. 18Then it passed along
toward the north side of Arabah,a and went down
to Arabah. 19And the border passed along to the
north side of Beth Hoglah; then the border ended
at the north bay at the Salt Sea, at the south end
of the Jordan. This was the southern boundary.
20The Jordan was its border on the east side.
This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, according to its boundaries all around, according to their families.
21Now the cities of the tribe of the children
of Benjamin, according to their families, were
Jer i cho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, 22 Beth
Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avim, Parah,
Ophrah, 24Chephar Haammoni, Ophni, and Gaba:
twelve cities with their villages; 25 Gibeon,
Ramah, Beeroth, 26Mizpah, Chephirah, Mozah,
27Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28Zelah, Eleph, Jebus
(which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath: fourteen cities with their villages. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to
their families.
Simeons Inheritance with Judah
1The second lot came out for Simeon, for
the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. And their inheritance was
within the inheritance of the children of Judah.
19
2They
had in their inheritance Beersheba (Sheba),

Moladah, 3Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, 4Eltolad,
Bethul, Hormah, 5Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar
Susah, 6Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen: thirteen
cities and their villages; 7Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and
Ashan: four cities and their villages; 8and all the
villages that were all around these cities as far as
Baalath Beer, Ramah of the South. This was the
inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon
according to their families.
9The inheritance of the children of Simeon
was included in the share of the children of Judah, for the share of the children of Judah was
too much for them. Therefore the children of
Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of that people.
The Land of Zebulun
10The third lot came out for the children of
Zebulun according to their families, and the border of their inheritance was as far as Sarid.
11Their border went toward the west and to Maralah, went to Dabbasheth, and extended along the
brook that is east of Jokneam. 12Then from Sarid
it went eastward toward the sunrise along the
border of Chisloth Tabor, and went out toward
Daberath, bypassing Japhia. 13And from there it
passed along on the east of Gath Hepher, toward
Eth Kazin, and extended to Rimmon, which borders on Neah. 14Then the border went around it
on the north side of Hannathon, and it ended in
the Valley of Jiphthah El. 15Included were Kattath, Nahallal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem:
twelve cities with their villages. 16This was the
inheritance of the children of Zebulun according
to their families, these cities with their villages.
The Land of Issachar
17The fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the
children of Issachar according to their families.
18:16 aLiterally Giants
15:6 and 18:22)
18:18 aOr Beth Arabah (compare
249
18And
their territory went to Jezreel, and included

Chesulloth, Shunem, 19Haphraim, Shion, Anaharath, 20Rabbith, Kishion, Abez, 21Remeth, En
Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez. 22And the
border reached to Tabor, Shahazimah, and Beth
Shemesh; their border ended at the Jordan: sixteen
cities with their villages. 23This was the inheritance
of the tribe of the children of Issachar according
to their families, the cities and their villages.
The Land of Asher
24The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the
children of Asher according to their families.
25 And their territory included Helkath, Hali,
Beten, Achshaph, 26Alam-melech, Amad, and
Mishal; it reached to Mount Carmel westward,
along the Brook Shihor Libnath. 27It turned toward the sunrise to Beth Dagon; and it reached
to Zebulun and to the Valley of Jiphthah El, then
northward beyond Beth Emek and Neiel, bypassing Cabul which was on the left, 28 including
Ebron,a Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as
Greater Sidon. 29And the border turned to Ramah
and to the fortified city of Tyre; then the border
turned to Hosah, and ended at the sea by the region of Achzib. 30Also Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob were included: twenty-two cities with their
villages. 31This was the inheritance of the tribe
of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
41And
the territory of their inheritance was Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, 42Shaalabbin, Aijalon,
Jethlah, 43Elon, Timnah, Ekron, 44Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, 45Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, 46Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the region
near Joppa. 47And the border of the children of
Dan went beyond these, because the children of
Dan went up to fight against Leshem and took it;
and they struck it with the edge of the sword,
took possession of it, and dwelt in it. They called
Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these
cities with their villages.
Joshuas Inheritance
49When they had made an end of dividing
the land as an inheritance according to their borders, the children of Israel gave an inheritance
among them to Joshua the son of Nun. 50According to the word of the LORD they gave him the
city which he asked for, Timnath Serah in the
mountains of Ephraim; and he built the city and
dwelt in it.
51These were the inheritances which Eleazar
the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of
the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel
The Land of Naphtali

32The sixth lot came out to the children of
Naphtali, for the children of Naphtali according
to their families. 33And their border began at
Heleph, enclosing the territory from the terebinth
tree in Zaanannim, Adami Nekeb, and Jabneel, as
far as Lakkum; it ended at the Jordan. 34From
Heleph the border extended westward to Aznoth
Tabor, and went out from there toward Hukkok;
it adjoined Zebulun on the south side and Asher
on the west side, and ended at Judah by the Jordan toward the sunrise. 35And the fortified cities
are Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth,
36Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, 37Kedesh, Edrei, En
Hazor, 38Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and
Beth Shemesh: nineteen cities with their villages.
39This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the
cities and their villages.
The Land of Dan
40The seventh lot came out for the tribe of
the children of Dan according to their families.
19:28 aFollowing Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate;
a few Hebrew manuscripts read Abdon (compare 21:30 and
1 Chronicles 6:74).
Cities of Refuge
The cities of refuge were established at strategic locations
to provide a place of sanctuary for those who had killed
someone unintentionally. There they remained until either
being judged innocent by the congregation or until the
death of the current high priest. Only then could they
return to their original home without fear of reprisal.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
250
SUMERIAN CITIES OF REFUGE (JOSH. 20:19)

When Israel entered Canaan, they appointed six locations to be cities of refuge (Josh. 20:2; Num. 35:13, 14).
These cities were intended to stop the emergence of blood feuds, since the custom of blood revenge was longstanding (see Gen. 9:6). They were places where someone who had killed another by accident (Josh. 20:3)
could go in order to escape the quick revenge of the dead persons family. These cities were not places where
justice could be avoided, but places where further bloodshed could be prevented while an investigation took
place (20:6).
Other Near Eastern peoples besides Israel provided places of refuge for its fugitives. A Sumerian incantation hymn dedicates a temple to the god Ninurta on the battlefield by the cities of all the countries. The
temple is described as the house of refuge, wide house of the protective deity. As described in the Sumerian hymn, this house of refuge functioned as a far-off ship moored in a foreign land for the person who
was confined to it. It was designated for that person who in his own village, any man could cut him down.
The Sumerian text does not explicitly describe the reasons why the individual would need refuge in the
temple of Ninurta. In contrast, the Israelite laws do specify what constituted an unintentional or accidental
homicide (Num. 35:22, 23; Deut. 19:4, 5). Both the Sumerians and Israelites believed that their gods offered
protection to certain persons. Ninurta is called the protective deity, and Moses establishes the cities of refuge
at the command of Yahweh (Num. 35:911). Both cultures knew that a place of refuge was needed to curb uncontrollable blood feuds.
divided as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before

the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the country.
The Cities of Refuge
1The LORD also spoke to Joshua, saying,
2Speak to the children of Israel, saying:
Appoint for yourselves cities of refuge, of which
I spoke to you through Moses, 3that the slayer
who kills a person accidentally or unintentionally
may flee there; and they shall be your refuge
from the avenger of blood. 4And when he flees to
one of those cities, and stands at the entrance of
the gate of the city, and declares his case in the
hearing of the elders of that city, they shall take
him into the city as one of them, and give him a
place, that he may dwell among them. 5Then if
the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not
deliver the slayer into his hand, because he
struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not
hate him beforehand. 6And he shall dwell in that
city until he stands before the congregation for
judgment, and until the death of the one who is
high priest in those days. Then the slayer may return and come to his own city and his own
house, to the city from which he fled.
7So they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in the
mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains
of Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron)
in the mountains of Judah. 8And on the other side
of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned
Bezer in the wilderness on the plain, from the
tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe
of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of
Manasseh. 9These were the cities appointed for
all the children of Israel and for the stranger who
dwelt among them, that whoever killed a person
accidentally might flee there, and not die by the
hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation.
20
Cities of the Levites

1Then the heads of the fathers houses of
the Levites came near to Eleazar the
priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the heads
of the fathers houses of the tribes of the children
of Israel. 2And they spoke to them at Shiloh in
the land of Canaan, saying, The L ORD commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell
in, with their common-lands for our livestock.
3 So the children of Is rael gave to the Levites
from their inheritance, at the commandment of
the LORD, these cities and their common-lands:
4Now the lot came out for the families of the
Kohathites. And the children of Aaron the priest,
who were of the Levites, had thirteen cities by lot
from the tribe of Judah, from the tribe of Simeon,
and from the tribe of Benjamin. 5The rest of the
children of Kohath had ten cities by lot from the
families of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe
of Dan, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh.
6And the children of Gershon had thirteen
cities by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of
Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in
Bashan.
7The children of Merari according to their
families had twelve cities from the tribe of Reuben, from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of
Zebulun.
8And the children of Israel gave these cities
with their common-lands by lot to the Levites, as
the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses.
9So they gave from the tribe of the children
of Judah and from the tribe of the children of
Simeon these cities which are des ig nated by
name, 10which were for the children of Aaron,
one of the families of the Kohathites, who were
of the children of Levi; for the lot was theirs
first. 11And they gave them Kirjath Arba (Arba
21
251
was the father of Anak), which is Hebron, in the

mountains of Judah, with the common-land surrounding it. 12But the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as
his possession.
13Thus to the children of Aaron the priest
they gave Hebron with its common-land (a city
of refuge for the slayer), Libnah with its common-land, 14Jattir with its common-land, Eshtemoa with its common-land, 15Holon with its common-land, Debir with its common-land, 16Ain
with its common-land, Juttah with its commonland, and Beth Shemesh with its common-land:
nine cities from those two tribes; 17and from the
tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its common-land,
Geba with its common-land, 18Anathoth with its
common-land, and Almon with its common-land:
four cities. 19All the cities of the children of
Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their
common-lands.
20And the families of the children of Kohath,
the Levites, the rest of the children of Kohath,
even they had the cities of their lot from the tribe
of Ephraim. 21For they gave them Shechem with
its common-land in the mountains of Ephraim (a
city of refuge for the slayer), Gezer with its common-land, 22Kibzaim with its common-land, and
Beth Horon with its common-land: four cities;
23 and from the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with its
common-land, Gibbethon with its common-land,
24Aijalon with its common-land, and Gath Rimmon with its common-land: four cities; 25and
from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with its
common-land and Gath Rimmon with its common-land: two cities. 26All the ten cities with their
common-lands were for the rest of the families
of the children of Kohath.
27Also to the children of Gershon, of the
families of the Levites, from the other half-tribe
of Manasseh, they gave Golan in Bashan with its
common-land (a city of refuge for the slayer), and
Be Eshterah with its common-land: two cities;
28and from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its
common-land, Daberath with its common-land,
29Jarmuth with its common-land, and En Gannim
with its common-land: four cities; 30and from the
tribe of Asher, Mishal with its common-land, Abdon with its common-land, 31Helkath with its
common-land, and Rehob with its common-land:
four cities; 32and from the tribe of Naphtali,
Kedesh in Galilee with its common-land (a city of
refuge for the slayer), Hammoth Dor with its
common-land, and Kartan with its common-land:
three cities. 33All the cities of the Gershonites ac21:37 aFollowing Septuagint and Vulgate (compare 1 Chronicles
6:78, 79); Masoretic Text, Bomberg, and Targum omit verses 36
and 37.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
cording to their families were thirteen cities with

their common-lands.
34And to the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its common-land, Kartah
with its common-land, 35Dimnah with its common-land, and Nahalal with its common-land:
four cities; 36and from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer
with its common-land, Jahaz with its commonland, 37Kedemoth with its common-land, and
Mephaath with its common-land: four cities;a
38and from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead
with its common-land (a city of refuge for the
slayer), Mahanaim with its common-land, 39Heshbon with its common-land, and Jazer with its
common-land: four cities in all. 40So all the cities
for the children of Merari according to their families, the rest of the families of the Levites, were
by their lot twelve cities.
41All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty-eight
cities with their common-lands. 42Every one of
these cities had its common-land surrounding it;
thus were all these cities.
Geography & Environment
It is notoriously difficult to estimate the size
of ancient populations for the cities inhabited by the Israelites (Josh. 21:43). Archaeological evidence suggests that the population of Palestine in the 14th century B.C.
was not greater than 250,000 in all. The site
of ancient Jericho is only eight and onehalf acres in size, and most cities had fewer
than 1,000 inhabitants.
The Promise Fulfilled

43So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of
which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and
they took possession of it and dwelt in it. 44The
LORD gave them rest all around, according to all
that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a
man of all their enemies stood against them; the
LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.
45Not a word failed of any good thing which the
LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came
to pass.
Eastern Tribes Return to Their Lands
1Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the
Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh,
2and said to them: You have kept all that Moses
the servant of the LORD commanded you, and
have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded
you. 3You have not left your brethren these many
days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of
the commandment of the LORD your God. 4And
now the LORD your God has given rest to your
brethren, as He promised them; now therefore,
22
1500 to 1200 B . C .
252
THE LITERATURE OF UGARIT

Writings of the Canaanites (Josh. 24:11) were discovered in Syria at Ras Shamra, known by its
ancient name Ugarit. The Canaanite texts include myths, epics, and legends written in a unique
alphabetic script, now called Ugaritic.
Ugaritic Legends and Myths
Legend of Keret
Named for its major character, Keret, king of Hubur. Much of this story
contains advice from El, the head of the gods, to Keret on where to find
a new wife.
Legend of Aqhat
The story of King Aqhat, who is the son of Daniel. The goddess Anath has
Aqhat killed in order to obtain his beautiful bow for her arsenal. The
father Daniel buries his son and mourns for a 7-year period.
Baal-Anath Cycle
Various episodes describe cosmic battles between the divine forces of barrenness and productivity, sterility and fertility. The victor in these wars is
sometimes Baal, sometimes Yam. Baals consort, the goddess Anath,
fights against Yam and Mot.
return and go to your tents and to the land of

your possession, which Moses the servant of the
LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan.
5But take careful heed to do the commandment
and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD
commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to
walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with
all your heart and with all your soul. 6So Joshua
blessed them and sent them away, and they went
to their tents.
7Now to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses
had given a possession in Bashan, but to the
other half of it Joshua gave a possession among
their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when Joshua sent them away
to their tents, he blessed them, 8and spoke to
them, saying, Return with much riches to your
tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with
gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much
clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with
your brethren.
9So the children of Reuben, the children of
Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned,
TIME CAPSULE
12131203
1213 to 1208 B.C.

Merenptah, pharaoh of Egypt
1211
Merenptah takes inventory of the wealth

in Egypts temples
1210
Merenptah captures the city of Gezer
1208
Libyan tribes and seaborne pirates

attack Egypt
1208
Merenptah defeats the Libyans

and Sea Peoples
1208
In the Israel Stele, Merenptah mentions

Israel as one of his conquests
and departed from the children of Is rael at

Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to
the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the
word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
An Altar by the Jordan
10And when they came to the region of the
Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the
tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordana great, impressive altar. 11Now the children of Israel heard someone say, Behold, the
children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half
the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the
frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of
the Jordanon the children of Is raels side.
12And when the children of Israel heard of it, the
whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.
13Then the children of Israel sent Phinehas
the son of Eleazar the priest to the children of
Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the
tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, 14and
with him ten rulers, one ruler each from the chief
house of every tribe of Israel; and each one was
the head of the house of his father among the divisionsa of Israel. 15Then they came to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to
half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead,
and they spoke with them, saying, 16Thus says
the whole congregation of the L ORD : What
treachery is this that you have committed against
the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel this day
against the LORD? 17Is the iniquity of Peor not
enough for us, from which we are not cleansed
22:14 aLiterally thousands
253
till this day, although there was a plague in the

congregation of the LORD, 18but that you must
turn away this day from following the L ORD ?
And it shall be, if you rebel today against the
LORD, that tomorrow He will be angry with the
whole congregation of Israel. 19Nevertheless, if
the land of your possession is unclean, then cross
over to the land of the possession of the LORD,
where the LORD s tabernacle stands, and take
possession among us; but do not rebel against
the LORD, nor rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the LORD our
God. 20Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a
trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on
all the congregation of Israel? And that man did
not perish alone in his iniquity.
21Then the children of Reuben, the children
of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the divisionsa of
Israel: 22The LORD God of gods, the LORD God
of gods, He knows, and let Israel itself knowif
it is in rebellion, or if in treachery against the
LORD, do not save us this day. 23If we have built
ourselves an altar to turn from following the
LORD, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain
offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let
the LORD Himself require an account. 24But in
fact we have done it for fear, for a reason, saying,
In time to come your descendants may speak to
our descendants, saying, What have you to do
with the LORD God of Israel? 25For the LORD has
made the Jordan a border between you and us,
you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You
have no part in the LORD. So your descendants
would make our descendants cease fearing the
LORD. 26Therefore we said, Let us now prepare
to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering
nor for sacrifice, 27but that it may be a witness
between you and us and our generations after us,
that we may perform the service of the LORD
before Him with our burnt offerings, with our
sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your
descendants may not say to our descendants in
time to come, You have no part in the LORD.
22:34 aSeptuagint adds and half the tribe of Manasseh.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
28Therefore
we said that it will be, when they say

this to us or to our generations in time to come,
that we may say, Here is the replica of the altar
of the LORD which our fathers made, though not
for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a
witness between you and us. 29Far be it from us
that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn
from following the LORD this day, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for
sacrifices, besides the altar of the LORD our God
which is before His tabernacle.
30 Now when Phinehas the priest and the
rulers of the congregation, the heads of the divisionsa of Israel who were with him, heard the
words that the children of Reuben, the children
of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spoke, it
pleased them. 31Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar
the priest said to the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh,
This day we perceive that the LORD is among us,
because you have not committed this treachery
against the LORD. Now you have delivered the
children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.
32And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,
and the rulers, returned from the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, from the land of
Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of
Israel, and brought back word to them. 33So the
thing pleased the children of Israel, and the children of Israel blessed God; they spoke no more of
going against them in battle, to destroy the land
where the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.
34The children of Reuben and the children
of Gada called the altar, Witness, For it is a witness between us that the LORD is God.
Joshuas Farewell Address
1Now it came to pass, a long time after the
LORD had given rest to Israel from all their
enemies round about, that Joshua was old, advanced in age. 2And Joshua called for all Israel,
for their elders, for their heads, for their judges,
and for their officers, and said to them:
23
1500 to 1200 B . C .
254
THE BROTHERS AND THE MOON GOD (JOSH. 24:2)

Joshua reminded the people that their ancestors once lived in the
region of the Euphrates River, where they served other gods
(Josh. 24:2). The specific ancestors named are Terah and his two
sons, Abraham and Nahor. In this ancestral family we witness a
split, with one son continuing in his fathers faith, while the other
son pursued a new faith.
Terah lived at Ur in southern Mesopotamia. He moved about
600 miles north to Haran in northern Mesopotamia (Gen. 11:31),
taking with him his son Abraham, Sarai (Abrahams wife), and Lot
(Terahs grandson). Terahs other son, Nahor, is not reported to have
made the journey to Haran at this time. Neither did Nahor take his
brother Abrahams journey of faith to believe in the God Yahweh.
Who were the other gods (Josh. 24:2) that Terah and Nahor
worshiped? Since these individuals were associated with the cities
of Ur and Haran, it is likely that one of the other gods was Sin,
the Mesopotamian moon god. Both Ur and Haran were centers for
the worship of this lunar deity. The main temples at Haran and at
Ur were dedicated to Sin. Living in the religious culture of these
cities, Terahs family, being polytheists, were probably moon worshipers.
The brothers Abraham and Nahor took different directions of faith, and their respective decisions influenced their offspring. The participants in property agreements of ancient times often sealed their agreements by invoking the gods of their ancestors. In such an agreement, Laban, the descendant of Nahor,
swore by his ancestors gods, while Jacob swore by Yahweh, the God of his father Isaac and grandfather
Abraham (Gen. 31:53).
I am old, advanced in age. 3You have seen

all that the LORD your God has done to all these
nations because of you, for the LORD your God is
He who has fought for you. 4See, I have divided
to you by lot these nations that remain, to be an
inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with
all the nations that I have cut off, as far as the
Great Sea westward. 5And the LORD your God
will expel them from before you and drive them
out of your sight. So you shall possess their land,
as the LORD your God promised you. 6Therefore
be very courageous to keep and to do all that is
written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest
you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the
left, 7and lest you go among these nations, these
who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone
to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor
bow down to them, 8but you shall hold fast to the
LORD your God, as you have done to this day.
9For the L ORD has driven out from before you
great and strong nations; but as for you, no one
has been able to stand against you to this day.
10One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the
LORD your God is He who fights for you, as He
promised you. 11Therefore take careful heed to
yourselves, that you love the LORD your God. 12Or
else, if indeed you do go back, and cling to the
remnant of these nationsthese that remain
among youand make marriages with them,
and go in to them and they to you, 13know for
certain that the LORD your God will no longer

drive out these nations from before you. But they
shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on
your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD your God
has given you.
14Behold, this day I am going the way of all
the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in
all your souls that not one thing has failed of all
the good things which the LORD your God spoke
concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not
one word of them has failed. 15Therefore it shall
come to pass, that as all the good things have
come upon you which the LORD your God promised you, so the L ORD will bring upon you all
harmful things, until He has destroyed you from
this good land which the LORD your God has given
you. 16When you have transgressed the covenant
of the LORD your God, which He commanded you,
and have gone and served other gods, and bowed
down to them, then the anger of the LORD will
burn against you, and you shall perish quickly
from the good land which He has given you.
The Covenant at Shechem
1Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and called for the elders
of Israel, for their heads, for their judges, and for
their officers; and they presented themselves before God. 2And Joshua said to all the people,
Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Your fathers,
24
255
1500 to 1200 B . C .
THE COVENANT RENEWED AT SHECHEM (JOSH. 24:15)

The ancient fortified city of Shechem was the first capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. Its name means
shoulder, probably because the city was built mainly on the slope, or shoulder, of Mount Ebal. Shechem
was an important city long before the Israelites occupied Canaan. The city has been destroyed and rebuilt
several times through the centuries.
Shechem is first mentioned in connection with Abrahams journey into the land of Canaan. When Abraham eventually came to Shechem, the Lord appeared to him and announced that this was the land He would
give to Abrahams descendants. Because of this incident, Shechem is an important place in the religious history of the Hebrew people.
After the Israelites conquered Canaan under the leadership of Joshua, an alter was built at Shechem. Its
building was accompanied by a covenant ceremony in obedience to the command of Moses, given earlier in
Deuteronomy 27:1213. Because Shechem was situated between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, this
covenant ceremony took on a symbolic meaning. To this day Mount Gerizim is forested, while Mount Ebal is
barren. Thus the blessings of faithfully keeping the covenant were proclaimed from Mount Gerizim, while
the curses of breaking the covenant were proclaimed from Mount Ebal.
At the close of his life, Joshua gathered the tribes of Israel at Shechem (Josh. 24:1). Here he reviewed
Gods gracious dealings with Israel and performed a covenant-renewing ceremony on behalf of the nation.
He closed his speech with his famous statement, Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . .
but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Josh. 24:15).
including Terah, the father of Abraham and the

father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the
Rivera in old times; and they served other gods.
3Then I took your father Abraham from the other
side of the River, led him throughout all the land
of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and
gave him Isaac. 4To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.
To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir to possess,
but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
5Also I sent Mo ses and Aaron, and I plagued
Egypt, according to what I did among them. Afterward I brought you out.
6Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt,
and you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to
the Red Sea. 7So they cried out to the LORD; and
He put darkness between you and the Egyptians,
brought the sea upon them, and covered them.
And your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. Then
you dwelt in the wilderness a long time. 8And I
brought you into the land of the Amorites, who
dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, and they
fought with you. But I gave them into your hand,
that you might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you. 9Then Balak the
son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war
against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the
son of Beor to curse you. 10But I would not listen
to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you.
So I delivered you out of his hand. 11Then you
went over the Jordan and came to Jericho. And
the men of Jericho fought against youalso the
Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I delivered them into your hand. 12I
sent the hornet before you which drove them out
24:2 aHebrew Nahar, the Euphrates, and so in verses 3, 14, and 15
from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow.
13I have given you a land for which you did not
labor, and cities which you did not build, and you
dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive
groves which you did not plant.
14Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him
in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods
which your fathers served on the other side of
the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! 15And if
it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for
yourselves this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods which your fathers served that
were on the other side of the River, or the gods of
the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for
me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
16So the people answered and said: Far be it
from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve
other gods; 17for the LORD our God is He who
brought us and our fathers up out of the land of
Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did
those great signs in our sight, and preserved us
in all the way that we went and among all the
people through whom we passed. 18And the LORD
drove out from before us all the people, including
the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will
serve the LORD, for He is our God.
19But Joshua said to the people, You cannot
serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous
Politics & Government
Ancient armies were compared to bees,
wasps, and hornets (Josh. 24:12) because
they traveled on foot and were dangerous
when they were in great numbers, like a
swarm of insects. The Greeks often decorated their shields with pictures of animals,
and the hornet was used this way.
1500 to 1200 B . C .
256
God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor

your sins. 20If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and
consume you, after He has done you good.
21And the people said to Joshua, No, but we
will serve the LORD!
22So Joshua said to the people, You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen
the LORD for yourselves, to serve Him.
And they said, We are witnesses!
23Now therefore, he said, put away the
foreign gods which are among you, and incline
your heart to the LORD God of Israel.
24And the people said to Joshua, The LORD
our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!
25So Joshua made a covenant with the people
that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
26Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book
of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and
set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27And Joshua said to all the
people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us,
for it has heard all the words of the LORD which
He spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to
you, lest you deny your God. 28So Joshua let the
people depart, each to his own inheritance.
Death of Joshua and Eleazar
29Now it came to pass after these things that
Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD,
died, being one hundred and ten years old. 30And
they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Serah, which is in the mountains
of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash.
31 Is rael served the L ORD all the days of
Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of
the LORD which He had done for Israel.
32The bones of Joseph, which the children
of Is rael had brought up out of Egypt, they
buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which
Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver,
and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.
33And Eleazar the son of Aaron died. They
buried him in a hill belonging to Phinehas his
son, which was given to him in the mountains of
Ephraim.

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What is discussed in the table of contents?

What is discussed in the table of contents?

What events are covered in Epoch 1?

What events are covered in Epoch 1?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Before the Patriarchs (Creation2000 B.C.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The Patriarchs, Israels Ancestors (20001500 B.C.) . . . . . . . . . . 18

The Rise of a Unified People (15001200 B.C.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

From Tribes to a Nation (1200930 B.C.). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

The Fall of Two Nations (930586 B.C.) .

Exile and Return (586332 B.C.). . .

Between the Two Testaments (33237 B.C.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1057

The Coming of the Messiah (37 B.C.A.D. 30)

The Church Age (A.D. 30100). . . . . . .

Cultural and Historical Topics

JOSHUA 1:1 | JOSHUA 1:11

conquests appear to have been by peaceful assimTHE CONQUEST OF CANAAN

The Book of Joshua

land which I am giving to themthe children of

12And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and

Rahab Hides the Spies

Architecture & Building

JOSHUA 1:12 | JOSHUA 2:24

Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who

JOSHUA 3:1 | JOSHUA 4:9

said to Joshua, Truly the LORD has delivered all the

3:1 aHebrew Shittim

Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole

The Memorial Stones

JOSHUA 4:10 | JOSHUA 5:5

CIRCUMCISED WITH FLINT KNIVES (JOSH. 5:3)

the priests who bore the ark stood in

those twelve stones which they took out of

5:1 aFollowing Kethib; Qere, some Hebrew manuscripts and

JOSHUA 5:6 | JOSHUA 5:15

wilderness, on the way as they came out of

5:9 aLiterally Rolling

He said, No, but as Commander of the

Conquering the Canaanite Cities

WHEN THE HEAVENS GO TO WAR (JOSH. 5:1315)

Beliefs & Ideas

JOSHUA 6:1 | JOSHUA 7:1

JOSHUA 7:2 | JOSHUA 7:15

ACCURSED AND UNDER THE BAN (JOSH. 7:1)

Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi,a the

commanded them. For they have even taken some

1243 to 1234 B.C.

Hittite Empire declines and vanishes

Israelites reach the plains of Moab

Aaron dies on Mount Hor (late Exodus;

Moses is buried in Moab (late Exodus;

Joshua leads Israelite conquest of Canaan

16So Joshua rose early in the morning and

JOSHUA 7:16 | JOSHUA 8:14

26Then they raised over him a great heap of

7:26 aLiterally Trouble

JOSHUA 8:15 | JOSHUA 9:1

against him behind the city. 15And Joshua and all

the LORD had commanded the children of Israel,

The Conquest of Canaan