At the end of the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses died, although the Israelites had not reached the land promised to Abraham by God. This promise was kept under the leadership of Joshua., the successor to Moses. The story is contained in what the Jews call “The Earlier Prophets,“ the Book of Joshua. The other books in this group are Judges, Samuel, and Kings.
Although these books are usually referred to as historical, the term “Prophets“ is appropriate for they are written from a religious point of view and are concerned chiefly with the relationship between Israel and God. This relationship is one of obedience but more often of disobedience.
Before Moses died, he named Joshua as his successor. The word “Joshua“ means “Yahweh saves.“ He had been closely associated with Moses, and his name was frequently mentioned especially during the period the Israelites spent at Sinai. Joshua dwelt in the Tent of Meeting. He zealously fought for what he considered to be the rights of Moses. He was one of the twelve scouts sent to appraise the land of Canaan. His report was in favor of an invasion. The task of leading the invasion fell on his shoulders.
The Book of Joshua is not a complete history of the conquest. Only certain highlights are selected. Some achievements which really took place much later are attributed to Joshua in much the same way as a good deal of later legislation was attributed to Moses. Similarly at one time all the psalms were attributed to David and all wisdom literature to Solomon. However, the historical picture presented in Joshua is generally accurate.
Canaan was made up of many small city-states which often were at war with one another. Egypt no longer maintained the strong grip she once held in Canaan. The land was already being invaded from the Mediterranean frontier by people like the Philistines who gave their name to Palestine. The invasion by the Israelites has been placed with almost certainty as around 1200 B.C.
The penetration of these desert tribes of Israel into Canaan was a piecemeal and long drawn out process. They lacked weapons and the techniques of war. They relied on sudden raids, strategems,and the inspired frenzy with which, periodically, they fought. Their main successes were against isolated settlements and in the hilly parts of both Judah in the south and Israel in the north. The central mountain district which was later to be Samaria seems to have been occupied already by “sons of Jacob” who peacefully joined the federation of the Yahweh covenant.
In brief, Joshua’s conquest started from Abel Sattim which is north-east of the Dead Sea. The people crossed the Jordan and established a bridgehead at Gilgal. From there the southern campaign swung west and south in a semicircle as far as Hebron. The story is told in Chapter 10. The northern campaign described in Chapter 11:1-15 is a raid into upper Galilee. The center of the federation was established at Shiloh which is twenty miles north of Jerusalem. “The whole community of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh and the Tent of Meeting was set up there; the whole country was now subdued and at their disposal`(18:1). The sanctuary at Shechem was located ten miles north of Shiloh. At Shechem the faith of the community was renewed frequently in repetitions of the covenant ceremony.
In reading the account of the conquest of Canaan, we might be shocked by the kind of warfare in which total destruction was the objective. In those days, to conquer meant to wipe out whole villages, tribes, or peoples—as nearly as possible. Not to conquer meant to be conquered. In the case of the Israelites, purity of religion was at stake, for co-existence meant religious contamination. It happened frequently enough to keep the prophets busy trying to bring back those who had abandoned complete allegiance to God and the Covenant.
The Book of Joshua is an elaborate doctrinal construction with a long history of growth and editorial development. As it stands, it gives a vivid and well-rounded picture of Yahweh’s gracious bestowal of the land on His people as He had promised. The book is composed of materials from various origins and settings. For its doctrinal purpose, it combines those scattered traditions into one period and under one man’s leadership. This brings out the unity and completeness of Yahweh’s act regardless of how human factors may have impeded or delayed its full effect.
The Book of Joshua has three main sections: the conquest of the Promised Land – Chapters 1-12; the partition of the territory between the tribes – Chapters 13-21 (a very tedious section for the modern reader although it reveals how the Hebrews treasured every square foot of the Land given to them by Yahweh); the last days of Joshua, especially his last discourse and the assembly at Shechem.
The Fathers of the Church saw in Joshua a foreshadowing of Jesus for both bore the name “saviour” and both led their followers through the waters (of Jordan and of baptism) to a promised land. Also they saw the conquest and division of the territory as images of the development of the Church.