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The Conquest
Into the land
Under Joshua, Israel crossed the Jordan and took the promised land. They began at Jericho and Ai in the center, broke a coalition of southern kings in a single day, then turned north to burn Hazor and divided the country among the tribes at Shiloh.
Who walked it
- Joshua
- Caleb
- Rahab
- Achan
- Eleazar
The road
Plains of Moab → Hazor · 8 stops
Moments on the road
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The Plains of Moab
Be strong and courageous · Joshua 1
Moses was dead, and the people camped within sight of the land he had only seen from a mountain. Here the LORD charged Joshua three times over: be strong and courageous, for you will lead this people across.
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The Jordan Crossing
The river stands still · Joshua 3
The Jordan ran at flood stage, but the moment the priests carrying the ark stepped into the water, the river piled up in a heap far upstream. All Israel crossed on dry ground while the priests stood in the middle of the riverbed.
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Ai and Achan
Sin in the camp · Joshua 7-8
Little Ai routed Israel, and Joshua tore his clothes to find out why. One man had hidden plunder from Jericho under his tent floor. Only when the sin was dealt with did Ai fall, taken by ambush at Joshua’s outstretched spear.
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The Sun Stands Still
The longest day · Joshua 10
Five kings marched on Gibeon, and Joshua force-marched all night to meet them. In the middle of the fighting he spoke to the sky: sun, stand still over Gibeon. And the sun did not set until the battle was won. There has been no day like it since.
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The Southern Campaign
City by city · Joshua 10
After the long day at Gibeon, Joshua swept south through the low country: Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, Debir, king after king, city by city. Then all Israel returned to the camp at Gilgal, and the south lay quiet.
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Hazor
The northern kings · Joshua 11
The kings of the north gathered at the waters of Merom, an army like the sand on the seashore. Israel broke them there, and Hazor, once the head of all those kingdoms, was burned.
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Shiloh
The land divided · Joshua 18
With the fighting done, all Israel gathered here and set up the tent of meeting. The rest of the land was surveyed and divided by lot before the LORD, tribe by tribe.
At a glance
- Span
- About 1400 or 1200 BC, per dating view
- Duration
- About seven years of war
- Tracks
- Main advance and southern sweep
- Scripture
- Joshua 1 to 18
- Outcome
- The land divided by lot at Shiloh
The story
With Moses buried, the LORD told Joshua to be strong and courageous and to lead the people over. The Jordan was at flood, yet the moment the priests carrying the ark stepped in, the river stood still and Israel crossed on dry ground. They camped at Gilgal, took Jericho when its walls fell at a shout, and after a costly failure at Ai brought that city down as well.
The war was not Israel’s alone to win. At Gibeon five Amorite kings joined against the people who had tricked Joshua into a treaty, and the LORD threw the enemy into panic while the sun stood still until the fighting was done. From there Joshua swept the southern towns city by city, then broke the northern kings at the waters of Merom and burned Hazor, the head of those kingdoms.
When the fighting eased, Joshua took the whole land as the LORD had spoken, and the land had rest from war. At Shiloh the people set up the tent of meeting and divided the country by lot, tribe by tribe, so that each family received its inheritance. Much still remained to be possessed, and Joshua had to ask how long they would wait to go in and take what was already theirs.