Summary of Joshua

Revised by Monica Melanchthon (07/23)

SUMMARY

The Book of JoshuaThe successor of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan. is the story of the Israelites’ entry into Canaan (the Promised Land) after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Led by Joshua, the successor to MosesProphet who led Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land and received the law at Sinai., the Israelites conquer the Canaanites, the native inhabitants of this land and then redistribute the land to the twelve tribes of IsraelThe patriarch Jacob fathered twelve sons who became the ancestors the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Divisive political conditions led to a separation of these united tribes into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms after the death of Solomon in 931 B.C.E. The book contains stories of events leading up to the conquest of Canaan, the collective war effort of the Israelites and of their military victory over Canaanite states with descriptions of total destruction of all the local inhabitants, suggesting that Israel had taken the land just as instructed by God in Deuteronomy 7. It also contains narratives describing the division and allotment of the land among the tribes. The book ends with a covenantA covenant is a promise or agreement. In the Bible the promises made between God and God’s people are known as covenants; they state or imply a relationship of commitment and obedience. renewal ceremony, in which both Joshua and the Israelites declare, “We will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:21). The book has three main sections: chapters 1-12 contain stories of Israel’s occupation of the land; chapters 13-21 describe the division and allotment of the land; and, finally, chapters 22-24 conclude the book addressing questions of loyalty to God.

SO WHAT?

The Book of Joshua tells of God’s fulfillment of God’s promises, the promises to AbrahamGod promised that Abraham would become the father of a great nation, receive a land, and bring blessing to all nations. in Genesis 12 that he will be blessed with many descendants and with the land of Canaan. Abraham, IsaacSon born to Abraham and Sarah in fulfillment of God’s promise., and JacobThe son of Isaac and Rebekah, renamed Israel, became the father of the twelve tribal families. never see the fulfillment of those promises, and their descendants become slaves in Egypt. God frees them from that slavery, but the end of the PentateuchThe Pentateuch is a Christian term the first five books of the Old Testament. These books contain stories of Israel’s early history, God’s covenants, and many laws such as the Ten Commandments). finds the Israelites still in the wilderness, outside the land of promise. The Book of Joshua, then, is the fulfillment of centuries of longing and waiting on the part of Israel. The book makes a claim to the land and justifies possession of it, for it understands that this land is set apart for God’s chosen people, namely the Israelites. It presents the Israelites as coming into possession of this land not by any effort of their own, rather as a land that was acquired for them by the resolve and determination of God. As such, it is a witness to God’s faithfulness to God’s people.  The book also warns the people that they could very easily lose the land if they do not live in obedience to the dictates and statutes of God conveyed to them through Moses and Joshua. Hence, at the very start of this account of Israel’s history, a clear and unambiguous statement is made, that it was God who has given them the land; that God has control and authority over this land. Israel is accountable to God and Israel’s behavior will determine her future on this land which has been given to her as a gift by God.      

WHERE DO I FIND IT?

Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible. The first book of the former prophets (the books of Joshua – 2 Kings), it follows the TorahThe Torah is the law of Moses, also known as the first five books of the Bible. To many the Torah is a combination of history, theology, and a legal or ritual guide. (also known as the Pentateuch). Joshua begins the story of Israel’s conquest and possession of the land, its allotment to the twelve tribes and life in the land of Canaan.

WHO WROTE IT?

Joshua is part of a larger collection of historical books (Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 SamuelThe judge who anointed the first two kings of Israel., 1 and 2 Kings), traditionally known as the “former prophets.”  Joshua is also known as the first part of a literary work, which scholars refer to as the “Deuteronomistic HistoryDeuteronomistic history refers to the narrative contained in the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings. This narrative, probably written in the age of Israel’s exile (mid-6th century B.C.E.), recounts Israel’s history prior to the exile.” (DH), comprised of the books named above. It is so called, because the history it narrates (although these books say more about theology than history), is written and judged in the light of Deuteronomic theology. The language and ideology in these books bear similarity with the Book of Deuteronomy. They continue the values seen at the heart of Deuteronomy, namely, the importance of faithfulness and loyalty to God alone, the belief that the consequence of unfaithfulness will be punishment by God, the importance of pure worship and sacrificeSacrifice is commonly understood as the practice of offering or giving up something as a sign of worship, commitment, or obedience. In the Old Testament grain, wine, or animals are used as sacrifice. In some New Testament writings Jesus’ death on the cross as the… in only one place and hostility toward foreigners and/or foreign influences. This work therefore has a unified theological outlook and tells the story of Israel from the time of Moses to the time of the Babylonian exile. The composition of the whole work is attributed to the “Deuteronomist,” an individual, a collector-redactor, or group of individuals who used the laws and stories of Deuteronomy as the basis of their theology and for interpreting their historical experience. Many scholars argue for the existence of at least two Deuteronomists, the first writing during the reign of King JosiahJudean king noted for his reforms of Israel’s worship in the time of Jeremiah. in the last half of the seventh century BCE and the second writing and revising during the Babylonian exile of the sixth century BCE.

That the Book of Joshua is a Deuteronomic composition is therefore beyond debate. The Deuteronomic collector/redactor seems to have gathered and stitched together older and accessible material in the form of descriptions of the land and etiologies, stories about encounters and relationships with the native peoples upon entry into the land, tales of God-human conversations and interactions and traditions, all of which have been arranged purposefully to impart the history in line with the Deuteronomic message. 

WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?

It is generally agreed by scholars that Joshua reached its final form during the Babylonian exile in the sixth century BCE, though the book obviously contains older material. The many occurrences of the phrase “to this day,” to refer to structures or practices existing in preexilic Israel, would argue that some “edition” of the book was completed prior to the exile (see 4:9; 5:9; 7:26; 8:28-29; 9:27; 13:13; 14:14; 15:63; 16:10). The use of the phrase would also imply that the author is writing for an audience living well after the time of Joshua. Many scholars place this first “edition” of Joshua in the reign of King Josiah, in the last half of the seventh century B.C.E.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

The Book of Joshua tells the story of Israel’s entry into Canaan after the Exodus and 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. It begins with the commissioning of Joshua and God’s promise to Joshua that he will succeed in taking over the land, the extent of which is defined in Joshua 1:4. The book then describes the Israelite conquering of the land and its inhabitants; the allotment and redistribution of the land to the twelve tribes; and the renewal of the covenant between the Lord and Israel. The book emphasizes the fact that the land was possessed not by the grit and effort of the people of Israel, but by the love and willpower of God and that if Israel wanted to remain in the land, they would need to lead lives of obedience to God. 

HOW DO I READ IT?

The Book of Joshua is identified as a “historical book,” which picks up Israel’s story where Deuteronomy has left it, but it does not necessarily contain an unbiased or unembellished description of events. Like other ancient historiographies, this book also seeks to influence and persuade its readers to consider and accept certain social, political, and theological views. It is  the first book of what scholars call the Deuteronomistic History (Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings), which tells the story of Israel from the death of Moses to the time of the Babylonian exile. Despite its name, Deuteronomistic History should not be read in the same way one reads modern history books. The biblical books do certainly contain historical accounts, but they also contain many other types of literary work: songs, liturgies, confessions, folktales, hero legends, miracles, administrative lists, etc. You should read Joshua, knowing that its primary concern is not with historical dates and events, but with telling the story of how the land was settled by the Israelites, understood also as God’s fulfillment of God’s promises, both to Joshua’s generation and to each subsequent generation of the book’s readers; and how Joshua and his generation responded to this promise, with lessons/insights on how we today might respond to God’s promises.

Central to the book are also themes of warfare and violent possession of the land, widespread devastation, destruction, and genocide. It is a book that legitimizes the seizure and occupation of another’s land – grounded in and justified as fulfillment of God’s promise. These claims, be they political, social, or theological need to be received with some skepticism. What are we to make of the violence, especially violence that is undertaken in God’s name? This book therefore needs to be read with caution, awareness, and sensitivity to the impact and effect that our interpretations might have on others, individuals and communities.