NOTES ON JOSHUA

Joshua 1:2-3 “You” is in the singular in v. 2 and plural in v. 3.

Josh. 1:6-7 See Deuteronomy 31:33.

Joshua 2:1 The Hebrew consonants for "prostitute" and "innkeeper" are the same: znh. She may have 

been either or both.

Josh. 2:17-20 Conditions for salvation: an outward sign, sharing with others, separation from the 

world, and persistence of belief?

Joshua 3:13, 17 See Psalm 114:4-5.

Joshua 5:2 Explanation of second circumcision: Egyptians and other nations practiced a form of 

circumcision in which a V-shaped cut was made in the foreskin without removing it.

Joshua 6:26 The curse was fulfilled in the 9th cent. BC (see I Kings 16:34).

Joshua 7:3 See note to Josh. 8:25 below.

Joshua 8:25 Wenham argues for the textual corruption of the improbably high number, so that 12,000

 should be 1,200. This would place it more in line with Josh. 7:3.

Joshua 9:20 See the story in II Samuel 21 about Israel breaking the covenant and the consequences.

Joshua 11:10 The middle bronze age city of Hazor (1800-1550 BC) has been found to include more 

than 225 acres, making it "an enormous city for its time." (Biblical Arahaeology Today) The 

destruction was by a very intense fire which fused the clay into glass. Recently found remains of 

Egyptian artifacts including hieroglyphs show that the city was thriving as late as 1250 BC, in 

contradiction to earlier findings. The only people known to be in that area at that time and capable of 

the destruction were the Jews. (2013 BAR article)

Joshua 13:3 The suspected site of Ekron was excavated for years until in 1996 archeologists came 

across an inscription mentioning its name.

Joshua 15:14 Cuneiform tablets dating to the 15^th century BC from Nuzi in northern Syria contain 

personal names including Piram, Sheshai and Talmai. This indicates that the Book of Joshua was 

written about 1550-1200 BC. (Bible Review, Dec. 1997, p. 36)

Josh. 15:36 Biblical Sha'arayam (“two gates”) was tentatively identified with Khirbet Qeiyafa. It was 

confirmed only in 2016 when a second massive city gate was discovered. (BAR Jan/Feb 2017)

Joshua 17:1 Samarian ostraca (inscribed pieces of broken pottery) from the 8^th cent. BC preserve all 

five names of Gilead’s sons and two of Hepher’s granddaughters, Hoglah and Noah. (See Numbers 

27:1-7)  This confirms the presence of these tribal names in the area allotted to Manasseh.

Joshua 18:15-17 Gihon Spring may initially have been known as En Shemesh.

Joshua 23 There is a lesson here about remaining true to God, not just to an earthly leader who will 

eventually die.

Joshua 24:2-13 These verses are "a Hexateuch [first six books of the Bible] in miniature" according to 

von Rad.

Josh. 24:15 As in Bob Dylan's song “You've Gotta Serve Somebody.”