1. Joshua was old, and advanced in age, and the Lord said to him: Thou art grown old, and advanced in age, and a very large land is left, which is not yet divided by lot: 2. namely, all Galilee, Philisthiim [Philistia], and all Gessuri; 3. from the troubled river, which waters Egypt, unto the borders of Accaron toward the north: the land of Chanaan, which is divided among the five lords [petty-kings] of the Philisthiim — the Gazites, and Azotians, the Ascalonites, the Gethites, and the Accaronites. 4. And on the south side are the Hevites, all the land of Chanaan, and Maara of the Sidonians, as far as Apheca and the borders of the Amorite; 5. and his confines; the country also of Libanus toward the east, from Baalgad under Mount Hermon, until thou enter Emath [Hamath]; 6. of all that dwell in the mountain from Libanus unto the Waters of Maserephoth, and all the Sidonians. I am he that will destroy them from before the face of the children of Israel. Let [their land] therefore come into the portion of the inheritance of Israel, as I have commanded thee. 7. And now divide the land in possession to the nine tribes, and to the half tribe of Manasse, 8. with whom Ruben and Gad have possessed the land, which Moses the servant of the Lord delivered to them beyond the streams of the Jordan, on the eastern side. 9. From Aroer, which is situated upon the bank of the torrent Arnon, and in the midst of the valley, and all the plains of Medaba, as far as Dibon; 10. and all the cities of Sehon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Hesebon, unto the borders of the children of Ammon; 11. and Galaad, and the border of Gessuri and Machati, and all Mount Hermon, and all Basan, as far as Salecha; 12. all the kingdom of Og in Basan, who reigned in Astaroth and Edrai — he was of the remnant of the Raphaim; and Moses smote them, and destroyed [them]. 13. And the children of Israel would not destroy Gessuri and Machati; and they have dwelt in the midst of Israel until this present day. 14. But to the tribe of Levi he gave no possession; but the sacrifices and victims of the Lord God of Israel — that is his inheritance, as [the Lord] spoke to him. 15. And Moses gave a possession to the tribe of the children of Ruben according to their kindreds. 16. And their border was from Aroer, which is situated upon the bank of the torrent Arnon, and in the midst of the valley of the same torrent: all the plain that leads to Medaba, 17. and Hesebon, and all their villages, which are in the plains; Dibon also, and Bamothbaal, and the town of Baalmaon, 18. and Jassa, and Cedimoth, and Mephaat, 19. and Cariathaim, and Sabama, and Sarathasar in the mountain of the valley; 20. Bethphogor, and Asedoth, Phasga, and Bethiesimoth; 21. and all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdoms of Sehon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Hesebon, whom Moses smote, with the princes of Madian: Hevi, and Recem, and Sur, and Hur, and Rebe, dukes of Sehon, inhabitants of the land. 22. Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, the children of Israel slew with the sword, among the rest that were slain. 23. And the border
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of the children of Ruben was the river Jordan. This is the possession of the Rubenites by their kindreds, of cities and villages. 24. And Moses gave to the tribe of Gad and its sons, by their kindreds, a possession, of which this is the division: 25. The border Jaser, and all the cities of Galaad, and half the land of the children of Ammon, as far as Aroer, which is over against Rabba; 26. and from Hesebon unto Ramoth, Masphe and Betonim; and from Manaim unto the borders of Dabir; 27. in the valley also Betharan, and Bethnemra, and Socoth, and Saphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sehon king of Hesebon: the Jordan is its border also, as far as the extremity of the sea of Cenereth, beyond the Jordan on the east side. 28. This is the possession of the children of Gad by their families, their cities and villages. 29. He gave also to the half tribe of Manasse, and its sons, according to their kindreds, a possession, 30. of which this is the beginning: from Manaim, all Basan, and all the kingdoms of Og king of Basan, and all the villages of Jair, which are in Basan, sixty towns; 31. and half Galaad, and Astaroth, and Edrai, cities of the kingdom of Og in Basan: to the sons of Machir, the son of Manasse — to the half of the sons of Machir according to their kindreds. 32. This possession Moses divided in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan, over against Jericho, on the east side. 33. But to the tribe of Levi he gave no possession; because the Lord God of Israel is himself their possession, as he spoke to him.
COMMENTARY
The [things] which, after the wars — and [after] the year of the world 2497 — are handed down in this book, are these three. The first, “the division of the land of Canaan,” from ch. 13 to 22. The second, “the dismissal of the Transjordanian tribes,” ch. 22. The third, “the last words and deeds of the Leader [Joshua] and the High Priest,” from ch. 23 to the end.
FIRST — The division of the sacred land, or of the holy promised land
“Geodaesia” — or, as [it is] called by Pappus, “Geometry” — is, generally, the division of land. But here [it is] not the division of any land whatever, but of the sacred, or promised, land, that is to be treated. And [it is] to be treated in two ways: namely, generally and specially. And generally indeed, its causes and circumstances are to be explained. Of the causes, the first that occurs [is] the matter [the material] — which is nothing else than the very land to be divided; concerning which [are] these questions.