Chapters 1-7: Crossing into Israel, conquering Jericho
With Moses having died, YHWH puts Joshua in charge. Joshua prepares the Israelites to cross the Jordan into Israel and start conquering it. He reminds the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Menasseh that they must help with the conquest even though their lands are outside Israel proper (see Numbers).
He sends two spies to the Canaanite town of Jericho. They lodge with Rahab, a prostitute. Jericho authorities seek them out but Rahab hides them and says they left. This because Rahab hears about YHWH’s miracles and realises her city will be overthrown (since such a powerful god is on the Israelites’ side)). She wants to be spared in the coming bloodbath. The spies promise this as long as she gathers her family in her house and hangs a crimson rope out the window as a sign that hers is the only protected house. The spies escape through her window by a rope and return to Joshua.
Joshua gets one leader from each tribe to help carry the Ark. When they reach the Jordan, the waters part (as in Exodus) and the nation crosses. Joshua orders a memorial of large stones (one for each tribe) to comemmorate the miracle. YHWH asks for a 2nd circumcision of the Israelites (nobody was circumcised in the desert). The manna he’s been giving for 40 years stops. Joshua sees a man with a sword and asks if he’s one of the enemies. The man says he’s YHWH’s messenger and asks Joshua to remove his shoes. Joshua does this and prostrates himself [this story seems to be a fragment].
At YHWH’s command, the Israelites make six circuits around Jericho (one per day) and on the 7th day blow ram horns and shout. YHWH makes the walls crumble and they kill all the people and animals Rahab and her household. Joshua forbids the use of any other property from the city under penalty of curse. However a man called Achan takes some. This makes YHWH angry with the whole nation and he makes them lose the next battle (with the people of Ai). When Joshua is confused and angry only then does YHWH explain the reason. Achan is discovered by drawing [supernatural] lots and is stoned to death.
Chapters 8-11: More detailed battles
The Israelites try a stealth tactic in their next battle with Ai. Some troops flee deliberately so that the men of Ai chase them. Meanwhile others sitting in ambush come up from the other side to surround the men of Ai. This works and they kill the whole nation and impale their kings.
Joshua has half of Israel stand on Mt Ebal and half on Mt Gerizim to read out the Torah’s blessings and curses, as instructed in Deuteronomy.
The Canaanite town of Gibeon, hearing about Israel’s military success, fears for their lives. They know YHWH prohibited the Israelites from making a peace treaty with any Canaanite so they disguise themselves as a tribe from far away, by making their equipment look well-worn from supposed travel. They thereby get a peace treaty out of Joshua under such “false pretenses”. When Joshua found out he was angry but couldn’t break the treaty, thereby he spared them but gave them menial tasks as a hereditary occupation, which they’ve done “until this day”.
Some Amorite kings team up to fight the Gibeonites in revenge for making a peace treaty with Joshua but the Israelites get the upper hand. YHWH makes the defeat even more crushing by sending hailstones to kill more of them. In order to extend the time they can kill Amorites, Joshua commands the sun to stand still which it does. The five kings flee but are found. Joshua tells the army officers to stand on the necks of the [living] kings to highlight their superiority. Then they’re killed. 7 more battles are mentioned briefly, all with Joshua’s victory. Joshua conquers the whole country [meaning south Canaan apparently] killing everything that breathes as YHWH has commanded. More battles described briefly and finally Joshua conquers the “whole country” [not true, see below] and assigns it to the Israelite tribes as outlined in the Torah. The land rests from war.
Chapters 12-21: Allocating the land
The defeated kinds are listed (about 40 of them) as are the borders of each of the Israelite tribe’s lands given, with all the dozens of towns and localities that each tribe has. Joshua then sends each tribe off to conquer its particular area.
The tribe of Reuben apparently kills Balaam in the process [for a 2nd time, see Numbers]. Caleb (one of the two spies in Numbers who did not slander the land — the other being Joshua) reminds Joshua that as a reward YHWH promised him a special portion of land, which he gets.
Some tribes aren’t able to kill all the Canaanites (eg. the tribe of Judah fails to rid Jerusalem of all the Jebusites) so they end up living side by side. Usually if the Canaanites remain they are still either enslaved or have to pay tribute. The tribe of Menasseh complains they should get more than one allocation since they’re the most numerous tribes and Joshua allows them to conquer more of the Canaanite lands for themselves.
The Ark of the Covenant rests in Shiloh which is the temporary capital. Seven of the tribes have yet to possess their allocations. Joshua berates them for being too slow and sends seven spies (again one from each tribe) to look at the unconquered area. They do this and the remnants are allocated.
Joshua establishes the 6 cities of refuge, reminding the Israelites of those laws, as well as the 48 special towns for Levites [see Numbers for both]. YHWH helps Israel to finalise the conquest and “everything” is fulfilled (for what seems like the 3rd or 4th time).
Chapters 22-24: Final incidents and Joshua’s death
Joshua sends the 3 tribes with lands on the other side of the Jordan back home (since the conquest has finished their obligation to help is fulfilled) reminding them to keep the Torah. When they come back, they build an expensive altar in their ancestral land. A report reaches Joshua and the Israelites assemble at Shiloh to make war on the 3 tribes — for seemingly breaking away religiously. However, some priests are sent over first to try talk some “sense” into them. The priests berate them for treachery but the tribes are shocked and offended. They say it was so their children have a connection to YHWH despite being outside Israel proper. The altar is meant as a replica of the main one, not for sacrifices but only as a reminder. The priests are satisfied and return to the Israelites who are also satisfied.
Joshua makes a final speech about following YHWH’s laws, about how YHWH helped them conquer the land and that if they don’t keep the laws, YHWH will kick them out just as well. He gives a reminder of the Exodus and gets the people to swear fealty once more. When they do, he replies that he knows that they won’t be able to do it and that YHWH will punish them but that their current oaths will testify against them. Joshua dies.
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