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Names of the Book

THE SEVEN TRUMPETS OF JERICHO- James Tissot

English:  Joshua
Hebrew:  יהוֹשׁוּע
Transliterated:  Yehoshua
Other names:  Y'hoshua

 

whoWho

Wrote the book:  Joshua (and possibly Phineas for some passages)
Are the key people:  Joshua, Rahab, Achan, Phineas, Eleazar
Is it written to:  The people of Israel

 

whatWhat

Entry into the Land (Joshua 1:1-5:12)
Conquest of the Land (Joshua 5:13-12:24)
Allocation of the Land (Joshua 13:1-24:33)

 

whenWhen

Was it written:  c 1400-609 BCE
Did the events occur:  c 1436-1409 BCE
Was it canonized:  c 499-100 BCE
(see the Timeline of the Tanakh)

 

whereWhere

Was it written:  unknown place in Israel
Did the events occur:  The Land of Israel, Jericho , Ai, Mt. Ebal, Mt. Gerizim, Gibeon, Gilgal, Shiloh, Shechem

 

whyWhy

Joshua was written to inform us that:
G-d is the source of our success.
G-d is the object of our faith.
G-d is the source of sound guidance.
Disobedience to G-d leads to chaos.

 

whyIntroduction

The book of Joshua is a historical narrative that relates Israel's conquest of the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. Through a string of military victories under Joshua, Israel enters, conquers, and divides the land among their tribes. When Israel remains faithful to G-d, He fights for them enabling them to win. When they do not trust G-d, He does not fight for them and they come to recognize their dependence on Him for their success. Throughout the book, Joshua charges the nation to "be strong and courageous" and at the conclusion, he charges them to remain faithful to G-d and to obey His commandments, statutes, and rulings.

 

 


 

Chapter Description
1 Joshua succeeds Moses as Israel's leader.
G-d tells Joshua to be strong and courageous: the book of the law shall not depart from his mouth.
Joshua commands the officers of Israel to prepare: in three days they will cross the Jordan.
2 Joshua sends two spies to Jericho.
Rahab the harlot hides the spies and make a pact with them.
The men of Jericho search for the spies but do not find them.
The spies return safely to Israel with a good report for Joshua.
3 Israel moves from Shittim to the Jordan river and prepares to cross it.
Israel miraculously crosses the Jordan as G-d stops the flow of the river.
4 Israel sets up 12 stones at Gilgal as a memorial of crossing the Jordan.
The LORD exhalts Joshua in the sight of Israel.
Israel camps at Gilgal.
5 The Canaanite kings fear Israel because G-d enabled them to miraculously cross the Jordan.
The men of Israel are circumcised.
Israel observes their first Passover in the Promised Land.
Israel eats of the firstfruits of the land and the manna ceases.
The "captain of the host of the LORD" appears to Joshua.
6 Israel marches around Jericho for seven days and on the seventh day, the wall of Jericho falls down.
Jericho was destroyed but Rahab and her family are saved.
7 Achan takes forbidden items from Jericho and as a result thirty-six Israelites are killed during a battle at Ai.
Lots are drawn to identify the culprit and Achan is identified, stoned, and burned.
8 G-d commands Joshua to take the city of Ai.
Joshua leads Israel to ambush, capture, and destroy Ai.
Joshua builds an altar on Mt Ebal.
The Israelites recite the blessings and the curses on Mt Gerizim and Mt Ebal as the LORD had commanded.
9 Kings from western Canaan gather together to fight against Israel.
The Gibeonites deceive Israel (who do not consult G-d) and make a treaty with them.
The Gibeonites becomes Israel's servants.
10 Five kings of the Amorites fight against Gibeon.
Joshua marches all night from Gilgal to Gibeon and defeats the Amorite kings.
The sun and moon miraculously stand still during the battle at Joshua's command.
Joshua and Israel win several battles, conquer several cities, and utterly destroy them.
11 Jabin king of Hazor and several other kings from the north fight against Israel.
Joshua leads the warriors of Israel in destroying these kings and their armies.
Joshua and Israel took the whole land that G-d had spoken to Moses.
12 The kingdoms which Israel defeated are listed.
Two kings on the east side of the Jordan river are described then thirty-one kings on the west side in the promised land.
13 The LORD tells Joshua he is old and much land remains to be conquered.
G-d identifies all the territories that are left to conquer.
The LORD tells Joshua to apportion the land to the nine tribes and half-tribe of Manasseh.
Reuben, Gad, and Ephraim inherit land to the east of the Jordan river.
The tribe of Levi inherits no land.
The inheritence of Reuben is described: territory and cities.
14 The territories within Canaan are apportioned to the nine tribes and half-tribe of Manasseh.
Caleb and the sons of Judah request the mountain of Hebron. Joshua gives it to them.
15 The borders of the land for Judah are defined.
Caleb gives his daughter to Othniel.
Caleb gives extra land to his daughter.
One hundred and nine cities and their villages within the borders of Judah are listed.
16 The borders of the land for Ephraim are defined.
Ephraim did not destroy the Canaanites in Gezer as G-d commanded.
The Gezerites became servants of Ephraim.
17 The borders of the land for Manasseh are defined.
The daughters of Zelophehad request the land G-d promised them through Moses.
Manasseh could not possession of some cities because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land.
18 All of Israel assembles at Shiloh and sets up the tent of meeting there.
Seven tribes still have no inheritence and Joshua exhorts them to take posession.
The remaining land is divided into seven portions and lots are cast to allocate each portion to a tribe.
The borders of the land for Benjamin are defined and cities in the territory are listed.
19 The borders of the land for Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Dan are defined.
Dan fights against Leshem and expands their territory.
Israel gives Joshua an inheritence in their midst and the division of land is complete.
20 Kadesh, Shechem, Kiriath-arba, Bezer, Ramoth-Gilead, and Golan are appointed as cities of refuge.
21 Israel gives the Levites forty-eight cities in which they can live.
The LORD gives Israel rest from war and every good thing He had promised.
22 Joshua gives the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh permission to return to their land east of the Jordan.
They build an altar to stand as a witness to their inheritence in the LORD.
The other tribes of Israel are concerned and prepare for war thinking it is idolatry.
Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh explain and Israel is pleased.
23 Israel is at peace for several years.
Joshua is old and exhorts the leaders of Israel to love G-d and and obey his commandments.
He warns them about the consequences of unfaithfulness to G-d.
24 Joshua gives a brief history of the nation of Israel from Terah and Abraham down to their conquest of the Land.
He commands Israel to serve G-d. The people respond "We will serve the LORD our G-d and we will obey His voice."
Joshua dies at 110 years of age and is buried in Timnath-serah.
Eleazar the priest dies and is buried in Gibeah.

 

Torah Portion

unknown

 

 

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Yom Chamishi, 18 Adar II, 5784

Thursday, March 28, 2024

 

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