Joshua

JOSHUA, the son of Nun, by the Greeks called Jesus the son of Navè, was of the Tribe of Ephraim. He was born in the year of the world 2460, before J.C. 1540, before the vulgar Æra 1544. He devoted himself to the service of Moses, and in Scripture he is commonly called the servant of Moses. His Exod. xxiv. 13. xxxiii. 11. Deut. i. 38, &c.first name was Hosea, and we find him mentioned by this name in the book of Numbers xiii. 9, 17. Some believe that Moses changed his name by adding that of God to it. Hoseah¹ signifies Saviour, Jehosua, the Salvation of God, or he will save. His quality of servant of Moses, is no blemish or dishonour to his memory. On the contrary, it is one of the greatest honours which he could receive, and a very particular mark of distinction from Moses, to have chosen him for his minister. In the heroick times, great men had servants in this manner, who were people of eminent quality and known worth. Thus in Homer, Patroclus 2 Kings iii. 11.was the servant of Achilles, and Meriones Idomeneus’s servant. Now Patroclus and Meriones were two Grecian Princes of great consideration in the army before Troy. Elisha was Elijah’s servant, and poured water on his hands; notwithstanding which he was a great Prophet.

The first opportunity which Joshua had to signalize his valour, was in the war which he made by God’s order against the Amalekites². He beat them, and routed their whole army. God afterwards commanded Moses to write down this event, and to inform Joshua, that he was resolved to cut off Amalek from under Heaven. When Moses went up mount Sinai, in order to receive the Law of the Lord, and remained there forty days and forty nights without eating or drinking, Joshua abode there with him, tho in all probability not in the same place, nor with the same abstinence; and when Moses went down from the mountain, Joshua immediately heard the noise of the Exod. xxiv. 13. Exod. xxxii. 17.people, who were playing and dancing about the golden calf. He thought it was the cry of people engaged in battle; but Moses soon discovered what it was; he knew that they were fallen into Idolatry.

Joshua was very constant at the tabernacle of the congregation; he had the care and Exod. xxxii. 12. Numb. xi. 28, 29.custody of it; he seems to have dwelt in it, or very near it. Having one day observed two persons, who prophesied in the camp, without Moses’s laying his hands on them: he informed Moses of it, and desired him to restrain them. But the holy Legislator answered, Why art thou envious for my sake? Would to God, that all were Prophets! When the people came to Kadesh-barnea³, Joshua, with twelve others, was deputed to survey the land of Canaan; and when these deputies returned, and had represented the difficulties in conquering it to be greater than they were, Joshua and Caleb maintained it to be an attempt more easily practicable, provided the Lord were with them. For this cause God swore that all the murmurers should die, and excluded all of them from the land of promise; but at the same time he promised Joshua and Caleb, that they should enter into it, and divide it among the twelve Tribes.

When Moses was near his end, he prayed Numb. xxvii. 18.unto the Lord to appoint some person who should succeed him in the government of his people; and God commanded him to lay hands on Joshua, to communicate to him part of his spirit and glory⁴, to the end that the people might hearken to him and obey him. After the death of Moses⁵, he took upon him the command of the Israelites; and God favoured him upon all occasions. He immediately sent spies to take a view of the city of Jericho, Josh. ii. 1, 2, 3, &c.and as soon as they were returned, and had acquainted him with the condition of the city, and the consternation which the Canaanites were in, he ordered the whole army of Israel to pass the river Jordan⁶. The priests marched at the head of the people with the ark of the Covenant, and Josh. iii. 1, 2, 3, &c.as soon as they had set footing in the river, the waters which came from above stood still like a mountain, and those below ran into the Dead Sea; so that the river remained dry for about two leagues in extent. The priests continued in the middle of the channel, till all the people had passed over Jordan; and Joshua took twelve stones out of the midst of the river, which he placed at Gilgal, and set up twelve likewise in the midst of Jordan, that both might serve as monuments of the miracle which had happened.

Some few days after the passage of Jordan, Joshua caused all those to be circumcised, who had been born in the wilderness, and who by reason of their changing place frequently, had not been able to receive circumcision since their departure out of Egypt. After this, they Josh. v. 10, 11, 12, &c.kept the feast of the Passover on the 14th of the month Nisan, in the year of the world 2553. Then they began to eat of the ears and new corn of the land of Canaan, thereby as it were to put themselves in possession of this country; and the manna upon which they had hitherto subsisted, fell no more. Now while Joshua Josh. v. 13, 14, 15.was in the territory of Jericho, he saw a man standing before him with a naked sword in his hand: He went to him, and said art thou for us, or for our adversaries? The man answered, I am captain of the host of the Lord, and I am come here to thy assistance. Joshua fell with his face to the earth; and the angel said to him, take off thy shoes, for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

Josh. v. 1, 2, 3, &c. Josh. vi. 1, 2, 3, &c.Within few days after, he received orders from the Lord to lay siege to Jericho. There are some who are of opinion, that this siege was carried on during the seven days passover. The six first days, the whole army of Israel, with the Priests and ark at their head, marched round the city once a day without saying any thing: On the seventh day they marched seven times round it; and at the seventh time of their taking this circuit, the Priests beginning to sound the sacred trumpets, all the people gave a great shout, and the walls of the city were overthrown, so that every man entred at the place which was opposite to him. They carried fire and sword with them through all places, without sparing either men or beasts. The metals only were reserved to be consecrated to the Lord; and Rahab with her family was preserved, because she had secured the spies, who were sent into the place by Joshua. See Rahab. Joshua then uttered this imprecation against Jericho: Cursed be the man who shall rebuild Jericho: Let his first born dye while he is laying the foundation of it, and let him lose his youngest son when he has set up the gates of it. The accomplishment of this prophecy was seen many ages after. See above Hiel, and 1 Kings xvi. 34.

After this Joshua sent three thousand men against Ai: but this small army was repulsed with the loss of six and thirty men. The Israelites upon this check were very much dejected. Joshua made his complaint to the Lord, who told him, that Israel had violated the anathema pronounced against Jericho, and that the people would not be able to stand against their Josh vii. 1, 2, 3, &c.enemies till this crime were expiated. The people hereupon were convened; they drew lots, and the lot fell on Achan the son of Carmi. Achan confessed his fault. They run to his tent to look for a wedge of gold, which he had hidden there, a scarlet cloke, and two hundred shekels of silver. He and all who belonged to him were stoned, and every thing that he had was burnt. See the article Achan. After this Joshua with ease made himself master of Ai. The city was first pillaged, and then burnt; all the inhabitants of it were put to the sword, and the King fastned to a gibbet, upon which he hung till evening.

God had commanded, that after the Israelites had passed the river Jordan, they should erect an altar to him on mount Deut. xxvii. 45, &c.Ebal. Joshua in pursuance of this order, after the taking of Jericho and Ai, led the people to the mountains of Ebal and Gerizim⁷, where he appointed the blessings and curses which are mentioned by Moses Josh. viii. 32. 70משנה תורת .משה To Δευτερονόμιον νόμος Μωσῆ, &c.to be pronounced, and an altar of unpolished stones to be raised, which he directed to be plaistered over, and a copy of the Law to be written upon it, that is to say, the Decalogue, which includes a short abstract of the law; or the blessings and curses which are set down by Moses in Deut. xxvii. 4, 5, 6, &c. or an abridgment of Deuteronomy. The Hebrew term which is translated Deuteronomy, signifies the copy, or duplicate of the law. Upon this altar burnt sacrifices were offered and the people returned to Gilgal, where for some time the whole body of the Israelites lay incamped. Eusebius and S. Jerom have placed Ebal in the plain of Jericho: but it is certainly near the city of Shechem.

Josh. ix. 1,2,3, &c. Josh. x. 1, 2,3,4, &c.About the same time, the Gibeonites came to make an alliance with Joshua, pretending that they were come from a distant country, and were none of the people of Canaan, who were devoted to the curse. Joshua and the elders of Israel received them, and made a covenant with them, without consulting the Lord; but three days after they understood that they were Canaanites, and dwelt in the cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. The people murmured against the elders; and it was resolved, that their lives should be preserved, since this they had been promised in the name of the Lord; but that they should be condemned to cut wood, and carry water for the service of the people. Hereupon Adonibezek King of Jerusalem, seeing that the Gibeonites had surrendred to the Hebrews without striking a blow, confederated with four other Kings of Canaan, and went to attack Gibeon. But Joshua being informed of it, marched all night, and in the morning fell upon them so briskly, that he put the five Kings to flight, and cut a great number of their troops in pieces. And as the enemies fled along the way that goeth up to Bethoron, the Lord caused a shower of large hail-stones to pour down upon them as far as Azekah, which killed abundance of them. Then Joshua said, Sun, stand thou still over against Gibeon, and thou moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun and moon stood still, till the people of the Lord had taken vengeance on their enemies. We have written particular dissertations upon the shower of hail-stones and the sun and moon’s standing still, which may be consulted before our Comment upon Joshua.

The five Kings having fled into a cave near Makkedah, Joshua ordered great stones to be rolled against the mouth of it till the army had entirely dispersed the enemy. Towards the close of the day, the army returned to Makkedah. Joshua killed these five Kings, and hung their dead bodies upon gibbets, where they remained till evening. Joshua taking the advantage of the consternation which the Canaanites were in, attacked and took several cities belonging to their country; such as Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, and Hebron, set fire to them, killed their Kings, and put every living creature which they found there to the sword. He pillaged all the land from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and all the land of Gozen as far as Gibeon, that is to say, all the southern part of Palestine. At length he returned with the whole army to Gilgal.

The year following a the King of Hazor, who dwelt above the lake Semechon, in Galilee, confederated with several Kings of Josh. xi. 1,2,3, &c.Canaan, to endeavour, if they could, to oppress the Israelites with their great number. They met at the waters of Merom, to the south of mount Carmel. Hereupon Joshua marched against them; and having charged them on a sudden, defeated and pursued them as far as great Zidon, the waters of Misrephoth, and Mizpeh, towards the east. The Hebrews killed all that fell in to their hands: they ham-strung their horses, and burnt all their chariots as the Lord commanded them. From thence Joshua returned to Hazor, took it, burnt it, and killed the King, and all the inhabitants thereof. He took and destroyed in like manner all the cities round about, and killed their Kings. All this was not done in a day, nor even in a year. Some years were necessary to reduce the whole country to obedience; for he was obliged to make war with all these Kings, none of them surrendring without coming to a battle.

It was not therefore till the sixth year after the Israelites had entered into the land of Canaan⁸, that they began to divide the Josh. xiii, xiv, xv, xvi, xvii.conquered lands; Caleb first of all demanded to have his portion assigned him in the mountains of Judah and Hebron, as the Lord had commanded; and what he desired was granted to him. See Caleb. After this a division was made to every Tribe by lot, of such ground as was convenient for them: first to Judah, then to Ephraim and the half Tribe of Manasseh, which hitherto had not received its partition; for the other half of this Tribe had its lot beyond Jordan.

Josh.xviii.After this⁹, the people were assembled at Shiloh, to make a division of what was¹⁰ Josh. xxii. Ecclus. xlvi. 1.to be given to the other Tribes. Joshua sent surveyors throughout all the country; and upon their return lots were drawn, and the Tribes of Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulon, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan had their portions assigned them. And lastly they gave to Joshua for his inheritance Timnath-Serah in the mountains of Ephraim. They then appointed six cities of refuge for those who had committed casual and involuntary murder, and six and forty cities as Josh. xx. xxi.dwelling places for the Priests and Levites. Lastly, the Tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the Half Tribe of Manasseh, having performed their promises, and assisted their brethren to make a conquest of the land of Canaan, they returned to the country beyond Jordan, where Moses had assigned them their inheritance. But as soon as they came upon the banks of Jordan, they erected a monument as a memorial to future generations, that they were the same people with the other Tribes on this side the river. Joshua having been informed of this undertaking, and fearing lest it might be made an idolatrous monument or altar, and the worship of the Lord be thereby opposed, sent to them to know what they intended to do with that altar. But the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, having declared their real intentions to the Deputies, they returned in peace to Joshua.

This great man seeing his end drawing near,¹¹ summoned all the Tribes of Israel, at Shechem, and ordered the ark of the covenant to be brought thither. Then, after he had represented to the Israelites the favours which they had received from God, and exhorted them to continue faithful to him, he made a covenant on the part of God Josh. xxiii. xxiv.with the people, and the people reciprocally engaged to serve the Lord, and in all things to obey him. Joshua reduced the act of it into form, and wrote it in the book of the law of the Lord; and in order to preserve the memory of what was done, he erected a monument with one very large stone, which he placed under the oak, which was near Shechem. After this he died at an hundred and ten years of age, in the year of the world 2570, before J.C. 1430, before the vulgar Æra 1434. The Holy Spirit hath made his encomium with the pen of Jesus the son of Sirach, in these terms, “Jesus the son of Nave was “valiant in the wars, and was the Ecclus. xlvi. 1, 2. &c.successor of Moses in prophecies, who “according to his name (he hath perfectly fulfilled the name of Saviour “which he was called by) was made great “for the saving of the elect of God, “and taking vengeance of the enemies “that rose up against them, that he “might set Israel in their inheritance. “How great glory got he, when he did “lift up his hands, and stretched out his “sword against the cities! (See Joshua “viii. 18. Leva clypeum, &c.) Who be- “fore him so stood to it? for the Lord “himself brought his enemies unto him. “Did not the sun go back by his means, “and was not one day as long as two? “He called upon the most High Lord “when the enemies pressed upon him on “every side, and the great Lord heard him. “And with hail-stones of mighty power “he made the battle to fall violently upon “the nations, and in the descent of Bethoron he destroyed them that resisted, “that the nations might know all their “strength, because he fought in the fight “of the Lord, and he followed the mighty “One.”

The book which bears the name of Joshua is generally attributed to this great man. All the copies of it go under his name. It is said in the last chapter, v. 26 that Joshua wrote all these things. Jesus the son of Sirach says, that he succeeded Moses in the prophetick ministry. Lastly, both the Church and Synagogue agree, in making him the Author of this work, and, acknowledging it to be canonical; nevertheless it must be owned, that there are certain terms, names of places, and particular circumstances in history, which do not agree with Joshua’s time, and induce people to believe, that the book has been since revised, and that additions and corrections have been made by the transcribers. But there are few books of Scripture, wherein something like this is not to be observed. They who please may consult our Preface to Joshua, and the authors who have written Prolegomena on the sacred Books.

The Samaritans have a Book of Joshua, which they preserve with respect, and make use of to support their pretensions against the Jews: but this book is very different from that which the Jews and Christians esteem to be canonical. It contains seven and forty chapters, filled with an infinite number of fables and childish stories. It begins there, where Moses chooses Joshua to succeed him in the government of the people. It relates the history of Balaam the diviner, who was called to curse the Israelites, speaks of the war which Moses made against the Midianites, of the occasion of it, of Balaam’s death, of the death of Moses, and the lamentation which was made for him. It relates the passage of the river Jordan very much at large, and the taking of Jericho, and adds a great number of miracles which are not in the genuine book of Joshua. It describes a certain war which it mentions to have been carried on against Saúbec the son of Heman King of Persia, with the addition of a thousand fabulous circumstances. After the death of Joshua, this book names one Tersico, of the Tribe of Ephraim for his successor. The author includes within his history what concerns the Judges and Kings of Judah, Jaddus, and Alexander the Great, and the siege of Jerusalem by Adrian. He concludes with what relates to Nathanael, and his sons Babarraba, Akbarus, and Phinehas. This book is not printed. Joseph Scaliger, to whom it belonged, left it as a legacy to the Library of Leyden, where it is at present in Samaritan characters, but in the Arabian language See M. Fabric. Apocryph. V. T. p. 876, 877, &c.translated from the Hebrew.

The Jews make Joshua the author of a prayer, which they repeat either in tire or in part, as often as they go out of their Synagogues: It begins thus, It is our duty to praise the Lord of the Universe, and to celebrate the creation of the World; for he hath not made us like unto the nations of the Earth, and hath prepared for us an inheritance infinitely richer and greater, &c. See Wagenseil, Tela ignea Satanæ, p. 223, 227. They likewise ascribe to Joshua ten rules which were to be observed in the Vide apud Selden. de jure nat. & gent. l. 6. c. 2.land of promise. The first is, that it is lawful to feed small but not large cattle in forests, the trees whereof are large. The second, that all Israelites are allowed to pick up little pieces of wood, such as briars or the like, in another man’s field; provided nevertheless, that they find them upon the ground, and do not cut them. The rest of these regulations are much of the same nature. We do not read any where, that Joshua was married or had children. After his death the elders of Israel governed the people in a sort of Aristocracy. But we do not know whether there was any one among them who was first in rank, nor who he was. Nevertheless it is believed, that Othniel had the principal share in the government at this time. The Mahometans believe, that Joshua was Bibl. Orient. p.494. Joschoua.sent by God in order to fight the Giants, who possessed the town and country of Arika or Jericho. He gave them battle on friday in the evening, and as night came on, and he could not combate them on the sabbath day, he beg’d of God to prolong the day, that he might have time sufficient to defeat them. His prayer was heard, and the Sun continued an hour and an half above the Horizon longer than it should do. This was one motive which obliged the Musselmen to choose this day for their festival, preferably to saturday. They add, that Joshua drove the Philistines, or rather the Canaanites, out of their country, and obliged them to retire into Africk.

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