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Joshua
| Encyclopedia of Judaism: Joshua |
The son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim, Moses' successor and leader of the Israelite tribes in their conquest of Canaan. His original name was Hoshea, changed by Moses to Joshua (Yehoshu'a). In the early stages of the Israelites' wanderings in the desert, he led the people in their war against Amalek (Ex. 17:8-16) and is described as Moses' assistant (Ex. 24:12). Joshua was one of the 12 spies sent by Moses to Canaan, and later only he and Caleb were privileged to enter the Land because they did not bring back an unfavorable report (Num. 13:6, 8, 14:6-8, 30, 38, 26:65). He succeeded Moses after the latter's death within sight of the Promised Land and led Israel in the conquest of Canaan and its division among the tribes. As depicted in the Bible, Joshua was a combination of prophet, judge, and military leader. He made use of various military devices, such as spies in the conquest of Jericho (Josh. 2), and captured cities without bloodshed by ambush, as in the conquest of Ai (Josh. 8). Joshua is also depicted as continuing in Moses' path, crossing the Jordan (3:9-17) just as Moses did the Red Sea. He set up an altar on Mount Ebal, where he pronounced blessings and curses as commanded by Moses (Josh. 8:30-35; cf. Deut 11:29, 27:11-13). During the conquest of Canaan, Joshua vanquished 31 kings (Josh. 12), including the allied kings of the north led by the king of Hazor (11:1-14). Joshua died at the age of 110.
Assuming that the Exodus from Egypt took place in c. 1230 BCE, Joshua became leader in c. 1190 BCE. Modern scholars dispute whether Joshua was a historical figure. Some hold that he was the eponym of a family of the tribe of Ephraim. Others argue that Joshua was indeed a historical figure, but that he only led the two tribes of Joseph and conquered a small number of places in Canaan. As opposed to this, the Bible scholar Yehezkel Kaufmann maintains that Joshua led a confederacy of the 12 tribes, which had already been organized in Sinai, and that the conquest was a concerted military effort.
In the Aggadah Joshua is considered Moses' spiritual successor; "Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua" (Avot 1:1). According to one tradition (Yalkut Shimoni) Joshua was Israel's leader for 35 years, while according to another (Seder Olam Rabbah) for 28 years. See Joshua, Book of.
| Bible Guide: Joshua |
("Yah is salvation")
1. The son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim; Moses' successor as the leader of Israel. He was the head of the army during Moses' decisive battle against the Amalekites (Ex 17:8-16). Elsewhere Joshua is linked with Moses in various contexts (Ex 24:13; 32:17; 33:11), though always in a subordinate role. Of the 12 spies, only Joshua and Caleb gave an encouraging report of their mission, affirming the feasibility of conquering the land of Canaan (Num 13:6, 8; 14:6-8); the two men were rewarded with permission to enter the country (Num 14:30, 38; 26:65; 32:12) which even Moses could only view from afar.
Joshua led the Israelites in the conquest of Canaan but his contribution may have been more modest than the prevailing claims in the book that celebrates his accomplishments. Though almost all of the victories are ascribed to him, the conquest was a much more complicated process and many battles later accredited to him were in fact conducted by others. Joshua is said to have settled in the hill country of Ephraim; his village is called Timnath Serah (Josh 19:50; 24:30) and Timnath Heres (Judg 2:9). Two accounts of his death at the age of 110 have survived (Josh 24:29; Judg 2:8).
He is remembered for military exploits, but his liturgical leadership is also celebrated, especially the assembly at Shechem (Josh chap. 24) and the reading of the Law at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Joshua's original name, which was changed by Moses, was Hoshea (Num 3:8, 16).
Later literature identified Joshua as Moses' successor (Eccl 46:1) and a judge in Israel (I Macc 2:55). His power of intercession impressed one author (II Esdras 7:37), as did his role in transmitting the Torah (Pirke Avot 1:1). The unknown author of Hebrews reasons that the respite achieved for Israel by Joshua was only of limited duration, otherwise God would not have promised a rest at a later time (Heb 4:8). See JOSHUA, BOOK OF.
2. See JESHUA No. 5
3. The owner of a field in Beth Shemesh (I Sam 6:14) through which the ark was brought from the Philistines.
4. A governor of Jerusalem in King Josiah's time.
Concordance
JOSHUA 1:
Ex 17:9-10,13-14; 24:13; 32:17; 33:11. Num 11:28; 13:16; 14:6,30, 38; 26:65; 27:18, 22; 32:12, 28; 34:17. Deut 1:38; 3:21, 28; 31:3, 7, 14,23; 32:44; 34:9. Josh 1:1,10, 12, 16:2:1, 23-24; 3:1, 5-7, 9-10; 4:1, 4-5, 8-10,14-15, 17, 20; 5:2-4, 7, 9, 13-15; 6:2, 6, 8,10, 12, 16, 22,25-27; 7:2-3,6-7, 10, 16,19-20, 22-25; 8:1, 3, 9-10,13, 15-16, 18,21, 23, 26-30,35; 9:2-3, 6, 8,15, 22, 24, 27; 10:1, 4, 6-9,12, 15, 17-18,20-22, 24-29,31, 33-34, 36,38, 40-43; 11:6-7, 9-10,12-13, 15-16,18, 21, 23; 12:7; 13:1; 14:1, 6, 13; 15:13; 17:4,14-15, 17; 18:3, 8-10; 19:49, 51; 20:1; 21:1; 22:6-7; 23:1-2; 24:1-2, 19,21-22, 24-29,31. Judg 1:1; 2:6-8, 21, 23. I Kgs 16:34. I Chr 7:27. Neh 8:17. Acts 7:45. Heb 4:8
JOSHUA 2:
Hag 1:1, 12,14; 2:2, 4. Zech 3:1, 3, 6,8-9; 6:11
JOSHUA 3:
I Sam 6:14, 18
JOSHUA 4:
II Kgs 23:8
| Columbia Encyclopedia: Joshua |
Dictionary:
Josh·u·a1 (jŏsh'ū-ə)  |
In the Bible, a Hebrew leader who succeeded Moses as leader of Israel.
[Late Latin Ioshua, from Hebrew yəhôšûa', Yahweh (is) salvation.]
| Bible Dictionary: Joshua |
In the Old Testament, the leader who brought the Israelites into the Promised Land after the death of Moses. Joshua is best known for his destruction of the city of Jericho. When Joshua was besieging the city, God instructed him to have his priests blow their trumpets and all his troops give a great shout. At the sound of the shout, the walls of the city collapsed, and Joshua's troops rushed in. (See “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho.”)
| Wikipedia: Joshua |
This article is about the Hebrew Bible character. For the Biblical book, see Book of Joshua. For other uses, see Joshua (disambiguation).
| Judges in the Bible |
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In the Book of Joshua: Joshua |
Joshua (Hebrew: יְהוֹשֻׁעַ Yahoshua, Arabic: يشع بن نون Yusha‘ ibn Nūn), according to the Hebrew Bible, was the leader of the Israelite tribes after the death of Moses. His story is told chiefly in the books Exodus, Numbers and Joshua. According to the Bible, Joshua's name was Hoshea the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, but that Moses called him Joshua, (Num 13:16) and that is the name by which he is commonly known. He was born in Egypt prior to the Exodus, and was probably the same age as Caleb, with whom he is occasionally associated.
He was one of the twelve spies of Israel sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan. After the death of Moses, he lead the Israelite tribes in the conquest of Canaan, and allocated the land to the tribes. The years in which these events took place is subject to academic dispute. According to conventional Bible chronology, Joshua lived between 1450 – 1370 BC, or sometime in the late Bronze Age. According to Joshua 24:29, Joshua died at the age of 110.
Joshua also holds a position of respect to Muslims; the Shi'ah believe he was an Imam.
Contents |
Name
The English name Joshua is a rendering of the Hebrew: יהושע "Yehoshua," meaning "Salvation," "deliverer," or "rescuer" from the Hebrew root ישע, "salvation," "to deliver/be liberated," or "to be victorious"[1]. It often lacks a Hebrew letter vav (ו) after the shin (ש), allowing a reading of the vocalization of the name as Hoshea (הוֹשֵׁעַ) - the name is described in the Torah as having been originally Hoshea before being changed to Yehoshua by Moses (Numbers 13:16).
"Jesus" is the Anglicized transliteration of the Hellenized transliteration of "Yehoshua". In the Septuagint, all instances of "Yehoshua" are rendered as "ιησου" (Iesou/Jesus), the closest Greek pronunciation of the Hebrew.[2][3]
Conquest of Canaan
See also: History of ancient Israel and Judah
As Moses' apprentice, Joshua was a major figure in all the events of the Exodus. He accompanied Moses part of the way when he ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (Exdodus 32:17). He was one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore and report on the land of Canaan (Num 13:16-17), and only he and Caleb gave an encouraging report, a reward for which would be that only these two of the spies would enter the promised land (Num 14:23-24). He was commander at their first battle after exiting Egypt, against the Amalekites in Rephidim (Exdodus 17:8-16), in which they were victorious.
According to Joshua 1:1-9, Moses appointed Joshua to succeed him as leader of the Israelites. The first part of the book of Joshua covers the period when he commanded the conquest of Canaan. At the Jordan River, the waters parted, as they had for Moses at the Red Sea. The first battle was the Battle of Jericho. Joshua led the destruction of Jericho, then moved on to Ai, a small neighboring city to the west. However, they were defeated and thirty-six Israelite warriors were killed, because Achan had taken the "accursed thing" (some treasures from Jericho). When Achan's sin was exposed, he and his family and his animals were stoned to death and the favor of God was again restored. Joshua was then able to defeat Ai. The Israelites faced an alliance of Amorite kings from Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. At Gibeon Joshua asked God to cause the Sun and Moon to stand still, so that he could finish the battle in daylight. This event is most notable because "there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. (Joshua 10:14). From there on, Joshua was able to lead the Israelites to several victories, securing much of the land of Canaan.
Division of the land
See also: Tribal allotments of Israel
In the second part of the book of Joshua (Ch 13 onwards), the extent of the land to be conquered is defined (Numbers 34:1-15) and the allocation of the land among the tribes of Israel. At that time, much of this land was still unconquered. The tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh received land east of the Jordan (Numbers 34:14-15) while the other nine and a half tribes received land on the west of the Jordan.
Death
When he was "old and well advanced in years" [4] Joshua convened the elders and chiefs of the Israelites and exhorted them to have no fellowship with the native population because it could lead them to be unfaithful to God.[5] At a general assembly of the clans at Shechem, he took leave of the people, admonishing them to be loyal to their God, who had been so mightily manifested in the midst of them. As a witness of their promise to serve God, Joshua set up a great stone under an oak by the sanctuary of God. Soon afterward he died, at the age of 110, and was buried at Timnath Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.[6]
In rabbinical literature
In rabbinic Jewish literature Joshua is regarded as a faithful, humble, deserving, wise man. Biblical verses illustrative of these qualities and of their reward are applied to him. "He that waits on his master shall be honored" (Pro. xxvii. 18) is construed as a reference to Joshua (Midrash Numbers Rabbah xii.), as is also the first part of the same verse, "Whoso keepes the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof" (Midrash Yalk., Josh. 2; Numbers Rabbah xii. 21). That "honor shall uphold the humble in spirit" (Pro. xxix. 23) is proved by Joshua's victory over Amalek (Midrash Numbers Rabbah xiii). Not the sons of Moses — as Moses himself had expected — but Joshua was appointed successor to the son of Amram (Midrash Numbers Rabbah xii). Moses was shown how Joshua reproved that Othniel (Yalḳ., Num. 776). Joshua's manliness recommended him for this high post. David referred to him in Psalms lxxxvii. 25, though without mentioning the name, lest dissensions should arise between his sons and those of his brothers (Yalḳ., quoting Sifre).
In Islam
Joshua holds more importance for Shi'i Muslims than for Sunnis because he is held up as the Imam after Moses after the death of Aaron. As such, he is frequently mentioned in works on theology. In Turkey, it's believed that his tomb is in Istanbul, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. The sacred place known as Yuşa Tepesi (Joshua's Hill) is revered and visited by the locals.
In later literature
In the Divine Comedy Joshua's spirit appears to Dante in the Heaven of Mars, where he is grouped with the other "warriors of the faith."
Baroque composer Georg Frideric Handel composed an oratorio "Joshua" in 1747.
Composer Franz Waxman composed an oratorio "Joshua" in 1959.
For a punning take on "Joshua, son of Nun," see the 1973 political thriller Joshua Son of None.
In the literary tradition of medieval Europe, Joshua is known as one of the Nine Worthies.
Joshua is a main protagonist in Matthew Woodring Stover's novel Jericho Moon.
Historicity
While the Bible holds Joshua out to be a real historical figure, many modern archeologists cannot find definite extra-biblical evidence for Joshua's existence.[7] Others see a middle ground. For example, archeologist William G. Dever, who on the one hand has been scathing in his dismissal of "minimalists" who deny any historical value to the Biblical accounts, also says this, "The Biblical narratives about Abraham, Moses, Joshua and Solomon probably reflect some historical memories of people and places, but the 'larger than life' portraits of the Bible are unrealistic and contradicted by the archaeological evidence."[8]
Yahrtzeit
The annual commemoration of Joshua's yahrtzeit is marked on the 26th of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. Thousands make the pilgrimage to Kifl Hares on the preceding night.
See also
References
- ^ A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament Francis Brown, with S.R. Driver and C.A. Briggs, based on the lexicon of William Gesenius. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 221 & 446
- ^ cf Numbers 13:16 LXX και επωνομασεν μωυσης τον αυση υιον ναυη ιησουν / And Moses named Hosea son of Nun Jesus
- ^ The High Priest Jesus in Zechariah 3 LXX
- ^ Joshua 23:1-2
- ^ Joshua 23:7-8, 23:12-13
- ^ Joshua 24:29-30
- ^ Boling, Robert G. Joshua. Harper Collins Study Bible, 311
- ^ Dever, William G. (March/April 2006). "The Western Cultural Tradition Is at Risk". Biblical Archaeology Review 32 (2): 26 & 76.
External links
- Book of Joshua at Wikisource.
- Book of Joshua at BibleGateway
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Joshua
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| Preceded by Moses |
Judge of Israel | Succeeded by Othniel |
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Mentioned in
- Joshua
- Hoham (king in the Old Testament)
- Horam (king in the Old Testament)
- Piram (king in the Old Testament)
- Achshaph (ancient city – in the Old Testament)
- Gaash (mountain – in the Old Testament)
- Book of Joshua (1981 Language & Literature Film)
- Joshua tree (treelike plant)
- “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho” (Fine Arts)
- Ammihud (in the Old Testament)
