Joshua

Lore & Background

In the Hebrew Bible, Joshua is identified as one of the twelve spies of Israel sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan. After the death of Moses, he led the Israelite tribes in the conquest of Canaan, and allocated lands to the tribes. According to biblical chronology, Joshua lived some time in the Bronze Age. According to the source, Joshua died at the age of 110. Joshua holds a position of respect among Muslims, who also see him as the leader of the faithful following the death of Moses. In Islam, it is also believed that Yusha bin Nun (Joshua) was the "attendant" of Moses mentioned in the Quran before Moses meets Khidr. Joshua plays a role in Islamic literature, with significant narration in the hadith. Mainstream scholarship holds that the Book of Joshua is a theological and nationalist narrative compiled and revised centuries after the supposed conquest, with archaeological evidence largely contradicting its account, though there is ongoing debate over some sites.

Reader's Guide

The English name "Joshua" is a rendering of the Hebrew Yehoshua, and is mostly interpreted as "Yahweh is salvation"; although others have also alternatively interpreted it as "Yahweh is lordly". The theophoric name appears to be constructed from a combination of the Tetragrammaton with the Hebrew noun יְשׁוּעָה (Modern: yəšūʿa, Tiberian: yăšūʿā), meaning "salvation"; derived from the Hebrew root ישׁע (y-š-ʿ), meaning "to save/help/deliver". Other theophoric names sharing a similar meaning can also be found throughout the Hebrew Bible, such as that of the son of David אֱלִישׁוּעַ (ʾĔlīšūaʿ), whose name means "My El (God) is salvation". "Jesus" is the English derivative of the Greek transliteration of "Yehoshua" via Latin. In the Septuagint, all instances of the word "Yehoshua" are rendered as "" (Iēsûs), the closest Greek pronunciation of the . Thus, in modern Greek, Joshua is called "Jesus son of Naue" (, tû Nauḗ) to differentiate him from Jesus. This is also true in some Slavic languages following the Eastern Orthodox tradition (e.g., "", Iisús Navín, in Bulgarian, Serbian and Russian, but not Czech).

Did You Know?

• Joshua was charged by Moses with selecting and commanding a militia group for their first battle after exiting Egypt, against the Amalekites in Rephidim, in which they were victorious.
• Joshua was with Moses when he descended from Mount Sinai, heard the Israelites' celebrations around the Golden Calf, and broke the tablets bearing the words of the commandments.
• Joshua was identified as one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore and report on the land of Canaan, and only he and Caleb gave an encouraging report.
• At the Jordan River, the waters parted, as they had for Moses at the Red Sea.
• Joshua asked the Lord to cause the Sun and Moon to stand still at Gibeon so he could finish the battle in daylight.