Achan

ACHAN, the Son of Carmi, of the Tribe of Judah, having discovered a Scarlet Cloak, an Ingot of Gold, and two hundred Shekels of Silver among the Spoils of Jericho, took and concealed them, against the express prohibition of God, who had cursed the City of Jericho, and devoted it to ruin, without reserving the least thing Josh. vi. 17. Josh. vii. 1, 2, 3. In the Year of the World 2553, before J. C. 1447, before the vulgar Æra 1451.belonging to it. Some days after Joshua sent three thousand Men to take the little Town of Ai, which was three or four Leagues distant from Jericho. But they were charged by those of Ai, and obliged to fly. However, the loss was not great, thirty six only of the Israelites being killed in the Action; but notwithstanding their loss was so inconsiderable, they were much discouraged. Joshua and the Elders rent their Clothes, and put dust upon their Heads¹, crying to the Lord, and conjuring him not to forsake his People in the midst of their Enemies. Then the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up, why liest thou upon thy face? Israel hath sinn’d, and they have also transgressed my Covenant; for they have taken of the accursed thing, they have stolen and dissembled also, and they have put it even amongst their own Stuff: Therefore I will be with you no more, unless ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the People against to morrow, the lot shall discover him who is guilty of this Crime, and he shall be burnt, with all that belongs to him.

The next day therefore Joshua assembled all the Tribes of Israel, and having cast lots, the lot fell upon the Tribe of Judah, then upon the Family of Zarhi, then upon the House of Zabdi, and last of all upon the Person of Achan; to whom Joshua said, My Son give glory unto the Lord, confess your fault, and declare what you have done, without concealing any thing. Achan replied, It is true that I have sinned against the Lord, and look what I have done. Having seen among the spoils a scarlet Cloak, and two hundred Shekels in Silver, with an Ingot of Gold, of fifty Shekels in weight, I took them and laid them in a pit which I dug for this purpose in my Tent. Joshua immediately sent some People to Achan’s tent, who found there what he had mentioned; and having produced the things in the presence of all the Israelites, they laid them out before the Lord. Then Joshua and all the People taking Achan, with what had been discover’d in his tent, the Gold, Silver, and Furniture, his Sons and Daughters, his Oxen and his Asses, his very tent, and every thing belonging to him, brought all into the valley of Achor, and said to Achan, Since thou hast troubled us, the Lord shall trouble thee this day; then they stoned him, with all those of his Family, whom they presumed to have been accomplices in his Crime; and all that he had was consumed with Fire. They laid together a great heap of Stones upon him, which remains there to this day. This is the account given by the Author of the book of Joshua. This fell out in the year of the World 2553, before Jesus Christ 1447, before the vulgar Æra 1451. The place where Achan was stoned was afterwards called the Valley of Achor, and lies to the north of Jericho.

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