The history of Joshua is well known to Christians and to Jews, who share the books known as the Old Testament or the Torah. This hero of the Exodus is also featured in Muslim literature. He was the successor to Moses who led the Israelite nation across the Jordan into the 'promised land, which Moses had been forbidden to enter.
In the Bible, this leader of the tribe of Ephraim is first found as Hosea. Moses renamed the son of Nun before he and eleven other tribal leaders were commissioned spy out the land of Canaan. Moses wanted to know more about the land the Lord had promised to give to Abraham's descendants.
The men were directed to go through the Negev and into the hills. They were to find out what the land and the people living there were like. Moses wanted to know if there were many people, whether they seemed strong or weak, whether their towns were fortified, and whether the land was fertile or poor, desert or shaded by trees.
The twelve men were gone forty days, coming back laden with grapes, figs, and pomegranates - evidence of a land 'flowing with milk and honey'. They had found strong and prosperous towns with high walls and many inhabitants, some of them giants. Hoshea and Caleb from the tribe of Judah were convinced that the Lord would subdue even those people before His followers, but the other ten men and the rest of the community were terrified by what they faced.
Because the people refused to proceed by faith, God decreed that they would wander in the desert until all the adult men had died. God sustained His people in the desert for forty years, giving them manna to eat and water from the rocks to drink, but only Caleb and Hoshea lived to cross the Jordan and dwell in the promised land. The people's murmuring and complaining exasperated Moses, who disobeyed God at Meribah and thereby also lost the right to go across the Jordan.
Because Moses could not lead them, the people accepted Joshua as their leader and their representative before God. The Bible says he was filled with the spirit of wisdom, that God promised him that he would never be defeated during his lifetime, and that God promised that He would always be with him. He was given three days to get the people ready; he sent two men to spy across the Jordan, especially the city of Jericho.
When the priests carrying the Ark of the covenant reached the river's edge, the flow stopped. This miracle allowed the people to cross over on dry land - just as their fathers had done at the Red Sea when Moses led them out of Egypt. The people were filled with reverence and gave their new leader their allegiance.
The history of Joshua continues with the battle of Jericho and goes on to tell of the conquest of thirty-one kingdoms. He lived to the age of eighty-five as a strong and vigorous man, teaching the people that obedience to God would ensure peace and prosperity in the new land.
In the Bible, this leader of the tribe of Ephraim is first found as Hosea. Moses renamed the son of Nun before he and eleven other tribal leaders were commissioned spy out the land of Canaan. Moses wanted to know more about the land the Lord had promised to give to Abraham's descendants.
The men were directed to go through the Negev and into the hills. They were to find out what the land and the people living there were like. Moses wanted to know if there were many people, whether they seemed strong or weak, whether their towns were fortified, and whether the land was fertile or poor, desert or shaded by trees.
The twelve men were gone forty days, coming back laden with grapes, figs, and pomegranates - evidence of a land 'flowing with milk and honey'. They had found strong and prosperous towns with high walls and many inhabitants, some of them giants. Hoshea and Caleb from the tribe of Judah were convinced that the Lord would subdue even those people before His followers, but the other ten men and the rest of the community were terrified by what they faced.
Because the people refused to proceed by faith, God decreed that they would wander in the desert until all the adult men had died. God sustained His people in the desert for forty years, giving them manna to eat and water from the rocks to drink, but only Caleb and Hoshea lived to cross the Jordan and dwell in the promised land. The people's murmuring and complaining exasperated Moses, who disobeyed God at Meribah and thereby also lost the right to go across the Jordan.
Because Moses could not lead them, the people accepted Joshua as their leader and their representative before God. The Bible says he was filled with the spirit of wisdom, that God promised him that he would never be defeated during his lifetime, and that God promised that He would always be with him. He was given three days to get the people ready; he sent two men to spy across the Jordan, especially the city of Jericho.
When the priests carrying the Ark of the covenant reached the river's edge, the flow stopped. This miracle allowed the people to cross over on dry land - just as their fathers had done at the Red Sea when Moses led them out of Egypt. The people were filled with reverence and gave their new leader their allegiance.
The history of Joshua continues with the battle of Jericho and goes on to tell of the conquest of thirty-one kingdoms. He lived to the age of eighty-five as a strong and vigorous man, teaching the people that obedience to God would ensure peace and prosperity in the new land.
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