Joshua 8


Joshua 8 is the eighth chapter of the Book of Joshua in the Hebrew Bible or in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to Joshua, with additions by the high priests Eleazar and Phinehas, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter focuses on the conquest of Ai under the leadership of Joshua and the renewal of covenant on Mounts Ebal and Gerizim, a part of a section comprising Joshua 5:13–12:24 about the conquest of Canaan.

Text

This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language. It is divided into 35 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis, Aleppo Codex, and Codex Leningradensis. Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls including 4Q47 with extant verses 3–14, 18, also 34–35.
Extant ancient manuscripts of a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint include Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus. Fragments of the Septuagint Greek text containing this chapter is found in manuscripts such as Washington Manuscript I, and a reduced version of the Septuagint text is found in the illustrated Joshua Roll.

Analysis

The narrative of the Israelites conquering the land of Canaan comprises verses 5:13 to 12:24 of the Book of Joshua and has the following outline:
The narrative of Joshua 7–8 combines the story of Achan's offence against the 'devoted things', and the battle report concerning Ai, as the two themes are linked.
The firsf part of this chapter concerning the Battle against Ai has the following structure:
The second part is an interlude for divine worship before the next military campaigns, taking place on two mountains, involving an altar, sacrifice, a copy of Torah and pronouncement of God's blessings and curses.

Fall of Ai (8:1–29)

With the problem in Joshua 7 resolved, God is with his people again in the conquest of the land, so Ai, like Jericho before it, will fall to the Israelites. The narrative contains military and topographical details, as YHWH takes charge in the taking of Ai, in contrast to the previous attempt, where Joshua took charge. Unlike Jericho, the people of Israel may take plunder after conquering Ai. Using the stratagem of pretended flight, simulating the first defeat, the Israel tricked the men of Ai to leave the city void of defense, so a second unit of Israelite army could get in from the west and conquer the city, then went out to pinch the men of Ai from two sides and killed them all. Two memorials of the victory against Ai are established: the ash piles of the burnt city; and a heap of stones for the dead king of Ai.
The report related to the sending of the unit for the ambush consists of two versions which are both preserved in succession, starting and closing with similar phrases.

Verse 28

  • "A heap forever": that is, "permanent mound" or "permanently uninhabited mound".

    The covenant renewal at Mount Ebal (8:30–35)

The taking of Ai marks an important point in the conquest, that the ceremony reported here could be performed following the instruction in the Book of Deuteronomy, that 'on the day that you cross over the Jordan', the people should setup large stones on Mount Ebal, cover them with plaster, and write 'all the words of this law' on them, then to erect an altar for sacrifice, and solemnly reaffirm the covenant with God. The ceremony on Mounts Ebal and Gerizim, near ancient Shechem, made the 'book of the law', first only for Joshua himself as he led Israel into the land, to become the rule for the whole people of Israel, which would lead to another covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem at the end of the book.

Verses 30–31

  • "Uncut stones": that is, "whole stones” in their natural condition, not carved or shaped artificially with iron tools.

    Archaeology

Archaeological works in the 1930s at the location of Et-Tell or Khirbet Haijah showed that the city of Ai, an early target for conquest in the putative Joshua account, had existed and been destroyed, but in the 22nd century BCE. Some alternate sites for Ai, such as Khirbet el-Maqatir or Khirbet Nisya, have been proposed which would partially resolve the discrepancy in dates, but these sites have not been widely accepted.