JOSHUA, BOOK OF (JOSHUA, ante), consists mainly of records made at the time of the events related, by a person or persons fully conversant with them, and under the direc tion of the great leader whose name the book bears. The accounts of the crossing over the river Jordan, of the memorial erected, of the battles, victories, punishments, treaties, are given with a definite fullness possible only for eye-witnesses, actors, and leaders in the scenes described. The division of the land by lot, and the grant of cities to the priests and Levites, by the people out of their inheritance, were made from written descriptions previously prepared and recorded in a book by surveyors ?7.oressly charged with the work. The covenant into which the people entered to serve the Lord was recorded by Joshua at the time it was made. These various accounts comprise the chief portions of the book. Besides these there are a few particulars, not affecting its integrity, that were added at a later day. These arc: (1) a line added to the statement that Joshua saved Rahab with all her property and family, " and she dwelled' in Israel until this day:" (2) a sentence added to the description of Judith's lot. "as for the Jebusites—the inhabit ants of Jerusalem—the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah, at Jerusalem, unto this day;" (3) the accounts added at the close concerning Joshua's death and burial; the fidelity of Israel to their covenant all of the elders who outlived him, and had known the works of the Lord; and the death of Eleazar the priest. The land of Palestine has been examined by many per
sons with the book of Joshua in their hands. Among them may be mentioned Ritter, Robinson, Stanley, and Thomson. Such men say that the book of Joshua bears the same relation to the conquest of Palestine that the Dooms-day Book of England bears to the Norman conquest. The book being received as genuine is a proof of the conquest of the land; the land being examined is a proof of the accuracy of the book. This book of Joshua is full of strange names, according to the divisions of the whole land, in the. mountains, valleys, plains, springs, the wilderness, and the s. country; and when they whose cars have been trained to the work of listening foi: the ancient names go seeking for information from place to place, while the. inhabitants hold their peace, or tell only absurd legends, it is scarcely a figure of speech to say that " the stones cry out " in attestation of the book.