JOSHUA, BOOK OF, the sixth book of the Old Testament, and the first of the group known as the "Former Prophets." It takes Its name from Joshua the son of Nun, an Ephraimite who, on the death of Moses, assumed the leadership to which he had previously been designated by his chief (Dent. xxxi. 14 seq., 23), and proceeded to the conquest of the land of Canaan. The book differs from Pentateuch in the absence of legal matter, and in its intimate connection with the narrative in the books which follow. It is, however, the proper sequel to the origins of the people as related in Genesis, to the exodus of the Israelite tribes from Egypt, and their journeyings in the wilderness. On these and also on literary grounds it is often convenient to class the first six books of the Bible as a unit under the term "Hexateuch" (q.v.), for an exhaustive detailed study has revealed many signs of diversity of authorship which combine to show that the book is due to the incorporation of older material in two main redac tions; one deeply imbued with the language and thought of Deu teronomy itself (D), the other of the post-exilic priestly circle (P) which gave the Pentateuch its present form. That the older sources (which often prove to be composite) are actually identical with the Yahwist or Judaean (J) and the Elohist or Ephraimite (E) narratives (on which see BIBLE: Old Testament criticism) is not impossible, though still uncertain.
The book falls naturally into two main parts, of which the first, the crossing of the Jordan and the conquest of Palestine is mainly due to Deuteronomic compilers. It opens with the preparations for the crossing of the Jordan and the capture of the powerful city, Jericho. Ai, near Bethel, is taken after a temporary repulse, and Joshua proceeds to erect an altar upon Mt. Ebal (north of Shechem). The erection of the altar, not at the scene of battle (cf. I Sam. xiv. 35) but on Mt. Ebal (viii. 30-35, D), presupposes the conquest of central Palestine and the removal of the ark from Gilgal. These, however, are not narrated, and, unless some account of them has been replaced by the present passage, this portion of the conquest was ignored. Possibly the passage is not in its original position : in the Septuagint it appears after ix. 2, while Josephus (Ant. v. 1, 19) and the Samaritan Book of Joshua read it before ch. xiii. ; Dillmann, however, would place it after xi. 23. The capture of Jericho and Ai is followed by the successful stratagem of the Gibeonites to make peace with Israel (ix.). This involved them in a war with a south Canaanite coali tion and Joshua obtains a crowning victory. In x. 16-24 the kings of the south are pursued to Makkedah and slain, in v. I I they are smitten by a great hailstorm in their flight to Azekah (cf. I Sam. vii. Io, xiv. 15, in the same district). Redactional links have been added, apparently by D, to whom is possibly due the stanza quoted from the Book of Jashar (v. I2 seq.), a poetical address to the sun and moon, of the nature of a prayer or spell for their aid (cf. Judges v. 20, and see Ecclus. xlvi. 4). The literal interpretation
of this picturesque quotation has been influenced by the prosaic comments at the end of v. 13 and beginning of v. 14. The descrip tion of the conquest of the northern Canaanites is very similar to that of the south. The main part is from an older source (xi. I, 4-9; see DEBORAH) , the amplifications (v. 2 seq.) are due to D, as also are the summary (vv. 10-23, cf. style of x. and the enumeration of the total results of the invasion (xii.), which includes names not previously mentioned.
The result of the events narrated in the first part of the book is to ascribe the entire subjugation of Canaan to Joshua, whose centre was at Gilgal (x. 43). He is now "old and advanced in years," and although much outlying land remained to be possessed, he is instructed to divide the conquered districts among the west ern tribes (xiii. I sqq.). This is detailed at length in the second part of the book. With the completion of the division his mission is accomplished. The main body of this part (xiii. i 5-xiv. 5; xv. xvii. ; xviii. I i-xxi. 42 ; xxii. 7-34) is in its present form almost entirely due to P. As regards details, P's account of the altar be yond the Jordan (see xxii. 34) is apparently a late re-writing of some now obscure incident to emphasize the unity of worship. The account of the distribution of land among the nine and a half tribes by Eleazar and Joshua (from xiv. 1-5 to xix. 51) appears to have been on the lines laid down in Num. xxxiv. (P). The scene, according to xviii. I, is Shiloh, and this verse, which does not belong to the context, should apparently precede P's narra tive in xiv. I. But of the occupation of Shiloh, the famous Eph raimite sanctuary and the seat of the ark, we have no information. The older source, however, presupposes that Judah and the two Joseph tribes have acquired their territory; the remaining seven are blamed for their indifference (xviii. 2-10), and receive their lot conjointly at the camp at Shiloh. But if the location is an at tempt to harmonize with xviii. 1, Gilgal should probably be re stored. The section xviii. 2-10 is followed by xxi. 43 seq. and may have been preceded originally by xiii. 1, 7 (where read : inherit ance for the seven tribes) ; in its present form it appears to be due to D. Another account of the exploits of Judah and Joseph can be traced here and there ; e.g., in xiv. 6-15 (where Caleb re ceives Hebron as hiS inheritance and the "land had rest from war"), and xvii. 14-18 (where Joseph receives an additional lot) ; but where these traditions have not been worked into later nar ratives, they exist only in fragmentary form. They are charac terized by the view that the conquest was neither the work of a single man nor at his instigation, but due entirely to individual or tribal achievements. This view can be traced in xiii. 13, xv. 63 (cf. the parallel Judges i. 21 in contrast to v. 8), xvi. Io (Judges i. 29), xvii. 11-13 (Judges i. 27 seq.), and in the references to separate tribal or family exploits: xv. 13-19, xix. 47 (cf. Judges i. 34 seq., xviii.).