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Joshua (Template:Lang-he-n Y'hoshuʿa; Greek: Ἰησοῦς, Arabic: يوشع بن نون Yusha ʿ ibn Nūn), according to the Hebrew Bible, became 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, (Numbers 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. (Numbers 13:1–16) After the death of Moses, he led 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; Despite not being canonized, he is considered by some to be the patron saint of spies and intelligence professionals.^{[citation needed]}

Name

The English name Joshua is a rendering of the Hebrew: יהושע "Yehoshua," meaning "Yahweh is salvation", from the Hebrew root Template:Hebrew, "salvation," "to deliver/be liberated," or "to be victorious."^[1]^[2] It often lacks a Hebrew letter vav (Template:Hebrew) before the shin (Template:Hebrew), allowing a reading of the vocalization of the name as Hoshea (Template:Hebrew) - the name is described in the Torah as having been originally Hoshea before Moses added the divine name (Numbers 13:16).^[3]

"Jesus" is the English of the Greek transliteration of "Yehoshua". In the Septuagint, all instances of "Yehoshua" are rendered as "Ἰησοῦς" (Iēsoūs/Jesus), the closest Greek pronunciation of the Hebrew.^[4]^[5]

Conquest of Canaan

As Moses' apprentice, Joshua was a major figure in the events of the Exodus. He accompanied Moses part of the way when he ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 32:17) He was one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore and report on the land of Canaan (Numbers 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 (Numbers 14:23–24).

He was commander at their first battle after exiting Egypt, against the Amalekites in Rephidim (Exodus 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 led the conquest of Canaan.

At the Jordan River, the waters parted, as they had for Moses at the Red Sea. The first battle after the crossing of the Jordan 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 with thirty-six Israelite deaths. The defeat was attributed to Achan taking an "accursed thing" from Jericho; and was followed by Achan and his family and animals being stoned to death to restore God's favor. Joshua then went 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

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" ^[6] 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.^[7] 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.^[8]

Historicity

While the Bible holds Joshua out to be a real historical figure, archeologists have to date not found any definite extra-biblical evidence for Joshua's existence,^[9] leading some minimalist commentators to dismiss the historicity of Joshua entirely. In addition, the archaeological findings has disproved the conquest narratives in the Book of Joshua as many of the cities mentioned in the narratives were not occupied during the time of Israelites' invasion and conquest of Canaan in the thirteenth century BCE.^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15] 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."^[16]

Views

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

As such, Yusha ibn Nun is frequently mentioned in works on theology. Islam recognizes Joshua as the young man who accompanied Moses when they traveled in search of a knowledgeable servant of God (who is considered by some scholars of Islam to be a prophet, others just a man of knowledge), called Al-Khidr. Joshua, accompanying Moses on a journey, lost the fish which they had kept in a basket during several days' travel. On that spot they both met Al-Khidr who reluctantly let Moses travel with him, during which time they came across many things. The Qur'an doesn't refer to Joshua by name(18:61).

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 the Quran Joshua is mentioned in the 5th Surah of the Quran (5:22-26). The two men mentioned here are Caleb and Joshua: "Remember Moses said to his people: "O my people! Call in remembrance the favour of Allah unto you, when He produced prophets among you, made you kings, and gave you what He had not given to any other among the peoples. "O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin." They said: "O Moses! In this land are a people of exceeding strength: Never shall we enter it until they leave it: if (once) they leave, then shall we enter." (But) among (their) Allah-fearing men were two on whom Allah had bestowed His grace: They said: "Assault them at the (proper) Gate: when once ye are in, victory will be yours; But on Allah put your trust if ye have faith." They said: "O Moses! while they remain there, never shall we be able to enter, to the end of time. Go thou, and thy Lord, and fight ye two, while we sit here (and watch)." He said: "O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother: so separate us from this rebellious people!" Allah said: "Therefore will the land be out of their reach for forty years: In distraction will they wander through the land: But sorrow thou not over these rebellious people"

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.

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.

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
^ Fausset's Bible Dictionary
^ Joshua, New Bible Dictionary, second edition. 1987. Douglas JD, Hillyer N, eds., Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL, USA ISBN 0842346678
^ cf Numbers 13:16 LXX καὶ ὲπωνὸμασεν Μωυσῆς τὸν Αὐσῆ υἱὸν Ναυῆ Ἰησοῦν (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
^ The Israelites By B. S. J. Isserlin, p. 57
^ Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From? William G. Dever, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006
^ The biblical world, Volume 2, John Barton, 45
^ How to read the Bible, Marc Zvi Brettler, pp. 95-99
^ Biblical peoples and ethnicity: an archaeological study of Egyptians, Ann E. Killebrew, pp. 152-154
^ The Oxford guide to people and places of the Bible, Bruce M. Metzger, Michael Coogan, P. Kyle McCarter, p. 39
^ Dever, William G. (2006). "The Western Cultural Tradition Is at Risk". Biblical Archaeology Review. 32 (2): 26 & 76. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

External links

Joshua Tribe of Ephraim
Preceded by Moses	Judge of Israel	Succeeded by Othniel

[1] 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

[2] Fausset's Bible Dictionary

[3] Joshua, New Bible Dictionary, second edition. 1987. Douglas JD, Hillyer N, eds., Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL, USA ISBN 0842346678

[4] Numbers 13:16 LXX καὶ ὲπωνὸμασεν Μωυσῆς τὸν Αὐσῆ υἱὸν Ναυῆ Ἰησοῦν (and Moses named Hosea, son of Nun, Jesus)

[5] The High Priest Jesus in Zechariah 3 LXX

[6] Joshua 23:1–2

[7] Joshua 23:7–8, 23:12–13

[8] Joshua 24:29–30

[9] Boling, Robert G. Joshua. Harper Collins Study Bible, 311

[10] The Israelites By B. S. J. Isserlin, p. 57

[11] Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From? William G. Dever, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006

[12] The biblical world, Volume 2, John Barton, 45

[13] How to read the Bible, Marc Zvi Brettler, pp. 95-99

[Killebrew-14] Biblical peoples and ethnicity: an archaeological study of Egyptians, Ann E. Killebrew, pp. 152-154

[15] The Oxford guide to people and places of the Bible, Bruce M. Metzger, Michael Coogan, P. Kyle McCarter, p. 39

[16] Dever, William G. (2006). "The Western Cultural Tradition Is at Risk". Biblical Archaeology Review. 32 (2): 26 & 76. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

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@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 He was one of the [[The Twelve Spies|twelve spies]] of Israel sent by Moses to explore the land of [[Canaan]]. ({{bibleverse||Numbers|13:1-16|HE}})  After the death of Moses, he led 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 [[chronology of the Bible|Bible chronology]], Joshua lived between 1450–1370 BC, or sometime in the late [[Bronze Age]]. According to {{bibleverse||Joshua|24:29|NIV}}, Joshua died at the age of 110.
-Joshua also holds a position of respect to Muslims; the [[Shia Islam|Shi'ah]] believe he was an [[Imamate|Imam]]. Despite not being canonized, he is considered by some to be the [[patron saint]] of [[spy|spies]] and intelligence professionals.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}
+Joshua also holds a position of respect to Muslims; Despite not being canonized, he is considered by some to be the [[patron saint]] of [[spy|spies]] and intelligence professionals.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}
 ==Name==
@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 == Historicity ==
 {{Main|Book of Joshua#Historicity|l1=Historicity of the Book of Joshua}}
-Liberal scholars have criticized the book of Joshua by noting that archaeological evidence shows that Israel did not completely conquer Canaan during Joshua's time, while conservative scholars have retorted that the book of Joshua explicitly says that Canaan was not completely conquered during Joshua's time.<ref>''Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From?'' [[William G. Dever]], Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006</ref><ref>[http://books.google.ca/books?id=LtD4Xomh4XgC&pg=PA45 The biblical world, Volume 2], [[John Barton (theologian)|John Barton]], 45</ref><ref>[http://books.google.ca/books?id=39nQafdJ_ssC&pg=PA96 How to read the Bible], [[Marc Zvi Brettler]], pp. 95-99</ref><ref name="Killebrew">[http://books.google.ca/books?id=VtAmmwapfVAC&pg=PA153 Biblical peoples and ethnicity: an archaeological study of Egyptians], [http://dor.huji.ac.il/Ann.html Ann E. Killebrew], pp. 152-154</ref><ref>The Oxford guide to people and places of the Bible, [[Bruce M. Metzger]], [[Michael Coogan]], [[P. Kyle McCarter]], p. 39</ref><ref name=Hess> "Joshua, an Introduction and Commentary, by Richard Hess, Inter-Varsity press (1996)</ref> Thus the two sides tend to disagree as to whether archeological evidence supports the account in Joshua, as well as Joshua's very existence, or doesn't support it. The view of scholars on this issue tends to depend more on their theological inclination than anything else, as the facts surrounding this issue are extremely subjective. The question will probably never be answered with any certainty, as both sides can point to a large body of evidence (archeological and otherwise) supporting their conclusions.<ref name=Longman&Dillard> "Introduction to the Old Testament", chapter on Joshua, by T. Longman and R. Dillard, Zondervan Books (2006)</ref>
+While the Bible holds Joshua out to be a real historical figure, archeologists have to date not found any definite extra-biblical evidence for Joshua's existence,<ref>Boling, Robert G. ''Joshua''. Harper Collins Study Bible, 311</ref> leading some [[Minimalism (Biblical archaeology)|minimalist]] commentators to dismiss the historicity of Joshua entirely. In addition, the archaeological findings has disproved the conquest narratives in the [[Book of Joshua]] as many of the cities mentioned in the narratives were not occupied during the time of Israelites' invasion and conquest of Canaan in the thirteenth century BCE.<ref>The Israelites By B. S. J. Isserlin, p. 57</ref><ref>''Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From?'' [[William G. Dever]], Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006</ref><ref>[http://books.google.ca/books?id=LtD4Xomh4XgC&pg=PA45 The biblical world, Volume 2], [[John Barton (theologian)|John Barton]], 45</ref><ref>[http://books.google.ca/books?id=39nQafdJ_ssC&pg=PA96 How to read the Bible], [[Marc Zvi Brettler]], pp. 95-99</ref><ref name="Killebrew">[http://books.google.ca/books?id=VtAmmwapfVAC&pg=PA153 Biblical peoples and ethnicity: an archaeological study of Egyptians], [http://dor.huji.ac.il/Ann.html Ann E. Killebrew], pp. 152-154</ref><ref>The Oxford guide to people and places of the Bible, [[Bruce M. Metzger]], [[Michael Coogan]], [[P. Kyle McCarter]], p. 39</ref>  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."<ref>{{Cite journal| last=Dever | first=William G. | title=The Western Cultural Tradition Is at Risk | journal=Biblical Archaeology Review | month=March/April | year=2006 | volume=32| issue =  2 | pages=26 & 76 }}</ref>
 ==Views==
@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 ===In Islam===
 {{See also|Yusha ibn Nun|Prophets of Islam}}
-'''Yusha ibn Nun''' (Joshua) holds more importance for [[Shia Islam|Shia]] [[Muslim]]s than for [[Sunni Islam|Sunnis]] because he is held up as the [[Imam]] after [[Islamic view of Moses|Musa]] (Moses) after the death of [[Islamic view of Aaron|Harun]] (Aaron). As such, he is frequently mentioned in works on theology. [[Islam]] recognizes Joshua as the young man who accompanied Moses when they traveled in search of a knowledgeable servant of God (who is considered by some scholars of Islam to be a prophet, others just a man of knowledge), called [[Khidr|Al-Khidr]]. Joshua, accompanying Moses on a journey, lost the fish which they had kept in a basket during several days' travel. On that spot they both met Al-Khidr who reluctantly let Moses travel with him, during which time they came across many things. The [[Qur'an]] doesn't refer to Joshua by name({{cite quran|18|61|style=ref|b=n}}).
+As such, Yusha ibn Nun is frequently mentioned in works on theology. [[Islam]] recognizes Joshua as the young man who accompanied Moses when they traveled in search of a knowledgeable servant of God (who is considered by some scholars of Islam to be a prophet, others just a man of knowledge), called [[Khidr|Al-Khidr]]. Joshua, accompanying Moses on a journey, lost the fish which they had kept in a basket during several days' travel. On that spot they both met Al-Khidr who reluctantly let Moses travel with him, during which time they came across many things. The [[Qur'an]] doesn't refer to Joshua by name({{cite quran|18|61|style=ref|b=n}}).
 In [[Turkey]], it's believed that his tomb is in [[Istanbul]], on the [[Asia]]n side of the [[Bosphorus]]. The sacred place known as Yuşa Tepesi ([[Joshua's Hill]]) is revered and visited by the locals.
-== In the Quran ==
 In the [[Quran]] Joshua is mentioned in the 5th [[Surah]] of the [[Quran]] (5:22-26). The two men mentioned here are Caleb and Joshua: "Remember Moses said to his people: "O my people! Call in remembrance the favour of Allah unto you, when He produced prophets among you, made you kings, and gave you what He had not given to any other among the peoples. "O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will ye be overthrown, to your own ruin." They said: "O Moses! In this land are a people of exceeding strength: Never shall we enter it until they leave it: if (once) they leave, then shall we enter." (But) among (their) Allah-fearing men were two on whom Allah had bestowed His grace: They said: "Assault them at the (proper) Gate: when once ye are in, victory will be yours; But on Allah put your trust if ye have faith." They said: "O Moses! while they remain there, never shall we be able to enter, to the end of time. Go thou, and thy Lord, and fight ye two, while we sit here (and watch)." He said: "O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother: so separate us from this rebellious people!" Allah said: "Therefore will the land be out of their reach for forty years: In distraction will they wander through the land: But sorrow thou not over these rebellious people"

v t e Prophets in the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament
Pre-Patriarchal	Abel^‡ Enoch^‡ Noah^‡ (in rabbinic literature)
Patriarchs / Matriarchs	Abraham Isaac Jacob Sarah
Israelite prophets in the Torah	Moses (in rabbinic literature) Aaron Miriam Eldad and Medad Phinehas
Mentioned in the Former Prophets	Joshua Deborah Gideon Samson Elkanah Hannah Abigail Samuel Gad Nathan David Solomon Jeduthun Ahijah Shemaiah Elijah Elisha Iddo Hanani Jehu Micaiah Jahaziel Eliezer ben Dodavah Zechariah ben Jehoiada Huldah
Major	Isaiah (in rabbinic literature) Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel^‡ (in rabbinic literature)
Minor	Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah (in rabbinic literature) Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi
Noahide	Beor Balaam Job (in rabbinic literature)
Other	Amoz Beeri Baruch Agur Uriah Buzi Mordecai Esther (in rabbinic literature) Ezra Nehemiah Ruth Oded Azariah
Italics indicate persons whose status as prophets is not universally accepted. ‡ indicates persons whose status as prophets is exclusive to Christianity.