WHO WROTE:  Joshua.  Several facts discovered by scholars examining the text confirm that Joshua is the author.  They point to key dates, geographical references, and insider knowledge someone like only Joshua would have had.

 

1) Certain portions bear the mark of an eyewitness to the events described, such as the remark that “the Lord had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over,” Joshua 5:1.  This suggests that only someone at the specific event, with access to inside information, could have written the book.

 

2) The use of the ancient names of the Canaanite cities points to an early date.  In other words, the author of the Book wasn’t writing about just things that had previously happened, but things that had happened during their (his) lifetime.

 

3) The list of boundaries drawn from the various tribes (Joshua, Chapters 13-19) accurately reflect the known situation of Canaan before the Jewish monarchy; as do the facts that Jerusalem was still a Jebusite city (Joshua 15:63), Gezer was still a Canaanite city (Joshua 16:10), and the Gibeonites were still Israel’s vassals (see Second Samuel 21:1-9).

 

4) The failure to mention the Phoenician city of “Tyre,” while otherwise mentioning “Sidon,” reflects earlier times before Tyre became the more important port city and strategic stronghold of the Phoenicians.

 

5) The author cites the ancient “Book of Jasher,” as a source material for his writing (Joshua 10:13), from which Samuel may also have been familiar because of Joshua mentioning it or Samuel had a copy (2Sa. 1:18).

 

6) The rehearsal of the wickedness of the Canaanites, for which God Commanded their execution, is shown to be accurate in the well-known “Ras Shamra Tablets,” which were written in Joshua’s time.

 

7) The farewell speeches of Joshua (Joshua, Chapters 23 & 24) bear the marks of the author’s own affirmations.

 

 

WHAT TIME PERIOD IS COVERED:  Staying within the limits of the Book of Joshua Itself, the notifications of chronological sequence, or of the length of time occupied in the various campaigns, are almost entirely wanting.  The essence of this is seen in such statements as, his wars lasted “a long time” (Jos. 11:18; compare with Jos. 23:1).  Mostly, the only references to date our period are the statements that Joshua himself was 110 years old at the time of his death (Jos. 24:29).  The statement about Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, companion of Joshua in the mission of the spies from Kadesh-barnea, describing him as being 85 years old when he receives Hebron as his inheritance (Jos. 14:10; compare with Jos. 15:13), is quite helpful.  The inference would be, assuming 40 years for the wanderings in the desert, that 5 years had then elapsed since the passage of the Jordan “on the tenth day of the first month,” Joshua 4:19.

 

No indication, however, is given of the chronological relation of this event to the rest of the history; and 5 years would be too short a period for the conquest of Palestine; if it is to be understood that the whole was carried out in consecutive campaigns under the immediate command of Joshua himself.

 

On the other hand, “very much land,” Joshua 13:1, remained still un-subdued at his death.  Christian tradition seems to have assumed that Joshua was about the same age as Caleb, although no definite statement to that effect is made in the Book itself; and that, therefore, a quarter of a century, more or less, elapsed between the settlement of the latter at Hebron and Joshua’s death (Jos. 14:10; 24:29).  Thus, the entire period from the crossing of the Jordan would then be reckoned at from 28 to 30 years.

 

 

WHEN WRITTEN:  B.C. 1459?

 

 

INTRODUCTION:  It is important to note that Joshua refers 57 times back to the authority of the writings of Moses; as an example, see Joshua 22:1-5.  The rest of the Bible continues this process (see Jud. 3:4; 1Ki. 2:3-4; 2Ki. 18:11-12; 23:25; 2Ch. 8:12-13; Dan. 9:11; Ezra 6:18; Mal. 4:4; and hundreds more such as our Lord’s references to Moses -- Mat. 8:4; 19:8; Luke 24:27; and Paul continues Acts 26:22; 28:23; Etcetera).  In fact, if you don’t believe Jesus, I can’t help you “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believe Me, for {WHAT DID he DO?} he wrote of Me.”  John 5:46.

 

In the “Hebrew Canon,” Joshua is the first in order of the prophetical Books, and the first of the group of 4, namely, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, which form the “Earlier Prophets.”  These Books, the contents of which are comprised mostly of an historical nature, and not prophecy in the ordinary sense of the term, were assigned by the Jews to the 2nd division of their sacred Canon and found a place by the side of the great writings of the “Later Prophets.”

 

The “Amarna Tablets,” are among the most remarkable discoveries of our time.  Dating from about B.C. 1480 (which is around the same time frame as Joshua), and consisting of official communications from Amorite, Phoenician, and Philistine chiefs to the king of Egypt, they afford a glimpse into the actual condition of Palestine prior to the Hebrew invasion, and illustrate and confirm the history of the conquest.

 

A letter, also still extant, from a military officer, “master of the captains of Egypt,” dating from near the end of the reign of Ramses II., gives a curious account of a journey, probably official, in which he undertook as passage through Palestine as far north as to Aleppo, which gives us an insight into the social condition of the country at that time.  Among the things brought to light by this letter and the Amarna tablets is the state of confusion and decay that had now fallen on Egypt.  The Egyptian garrisons that had held possession of Palestine from the time of Thothmes III., some two hundred years before, had now been withdrawn.  Thus, the way was entirely opened up for the Hebrew forces.

 

Also, in the history of the conquest there is no mention of Joshua having encountered any Egyptian force.  In a very interesting aspect of the tablets is contained many appeals to the king of Egypt for help against the inroads of the Hebrews; but no help seems to have ever been sent.

 

In an interesting comparison, the Book of Joshua has many implications to the Book of Revelation; in fact, a real model to be and proceed the Book of Revelation.  Here are just a few:

 

First Of All:

 

1) Joshua means “Jesus,” of which both are the “Hosts,” if you will, of both Books.

 

2) In each Book you have a military conquest in order for God’s people to ultimately possess the promised land (Heaven).

 

3) Joshua sends in two (witnesses) spies; while the Book of Revelation has “two witnesses.”

 

4) There are seven trumpet events in both Books.

 

5) The trumpets are silent for six days in Joshua; while there is “silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour,” in Revelation (8:1).

 

6) The seventh trumpet in Joshua is the end of Jericho and the ultimate concurring of the rest of the promised land; while in Revelation, the seventh trumpet is the end of this earth as we know it and the saints possessing Heaven.

 

7) In Joshua the enemies are confederated under Adonizedek, king of Jerusalem (Jos. 10:3); whereas in Revelation, they are organized under the Anti-Christ.

 

8) In both Books these enemies are ultimately defeated with fire.

 

9) In both Books the kings hide in caves.  You can hear both ask that rocks fall on them instead of the wrath of God fall on them.