Book of Joshua Research Papers (original) (raw)

Expanding on the scriptural account of Josh-
ua’s appointment, the Assumption of Moses describes Moses outlining Joshua’s
role as the one who will lead the people to the Promised Land, apportion it to
them, found a kingdom, and establish a local rule (1:8-
Several Second Temple Jewish writings refer to the figure of Joshua and to the
events related in the sixth book these sources provides the literary and exegetical context for the study of the RJ
scrolls.31 It addresses first the texts that have been known to the scholars prior
to the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls and then proceeds with the new Qumran
documents.
1.1 Writings Known before the Discovery of Qumran
Any survey of the Second Temple Jewish writings dealing with the Book of Joshua
ought to begin
retic Text (henceforth: MT).32 The question of whether these differences originate
with the translator or his Hebrew Vorlage has dominated the modern study of
the Greek Joshua.33 While there is no consensus on the issue among the scholars,
several studies of its translation technique suggest that the LXX Joshua follows
its Hebrew base text more or less faithfully.34 While this implies that a significant
number of the divergences between the MT and the LXX illuminate the literary
processes that shaped this book, many others shed precious light on the transla-
tor’s interpretation of the Book of Joshua.35

FOOTNOTES
30 This survey includes works that are dated aft er the destruction of the Second Temple, such
as several of the New Testament writings, Josephus, Pseudo-Philo, and 4 Ezra.
31 See discussions by Elssner, Josue, pp. 22-128; N.J. Hofmann, Die Assumptio Mosis: Studien
zur Rezeption massgültiger Überlieferung (SJSJ 67; Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill, 2000), pp. 191-227;
Berthelot, “Joshua”.
32 M.N. van der Meer, “Provenance, Profi le, and Purpose of the Greek Joshua”, in M.K.H. Peters
(ed.), XII Congress of the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies, Leiden
2004 (SBL Septuagint and Cognate Studies; Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2006), pp. 55-80, argues that
the translation was accomplished in Egypt in the last decades of the 3rd century BCE.
33 For a survey of scholarship see van der Meer, Formation, pp. 21-91; E. Tov, “Literary Develop-
ment of the Book of Joshua as Refl ected in the Masoretic Text, the LXX, and 4QJosha
”, in E. Noort
(ed.), The Book of Joshua and the Land of Israel (forthcoming). I thank Prof. Tov for making his
article available to me prior to its publication.
34 See, for instance, the description of the LXX translation technique in Tov, ibid.
35 On the exegesis embedded in the LXX Joshua see, among others, J. Moatti-Fine, La Bible
d'Alexandrie: Jésus (Josué): Traduction du texte grec, introduction et notes (Paris: Cerf, 1996);
EDN FOOT NOTES PAGE 1 CONTINUED

Writing in the beginning of the second century BCE, Ben Sira provides a
detailed portrayal of Joshua in his “Praise of the Fathers” (44:1-50:24).36 Joshua,
placed between Phineas and Caleb (46:1-8), is praised as “a valiant warrior” and
an “aide” (משרת ;Ms B37]) to Moses “in the prophetic office” (46:1).38 Playing on the
meaning of his name, Ben Sira refers to Joshua as “the great savior (גדלה תשועה (
of God’s chosen ones”. As he glorifies Joshua for “fighting the battles of the Lord”,
Ben Sira selects three episodes: Joshua’s brandishing his sword against Ai (Josh
8:18), the miraculous stopping of the sun (10:12-13), and the divine response to
Joshua’s plea (missing from the biblical account) with the hailstones in the war
against the southern Canaanite coalition (10:11).39 Ben Sira also hails Joshua’s
faithfulness (אל אחרי מלא] cf. Num 32:12]) and piety (חסד עשה (in the twelve spies’
episode (Num 14:6-10).40 Since he and Caleb stood against the “rebel assembly”

Footnotes
A.G. Auld, Joshua: Jesus Son of Nauē in Codex Vaticanus (Septuagint Commentary Series; Leiden,
Boston: Brill, 2005).
36 The English translation follows P.W. Skehan & A.A. DiLella, The Wisdom of Ben Sira (AB 39;
New York: Doubleday, 1987), p. 515, with slight alterations.
37 Joshua is referred to as Moses’ servant (משרת (in Exod 24:13, 33:11; Num 11:28; Josh 1:1. In light
of the Greek rendering “successor”, M.Z. Segal, The Complete Book of Ben Sira (Jerusalem: The
Bialik Institute, 1997), p. 318 (Hebrew), suggests that the original Hebrew might have read הֵשנִֹמ ,
while A. Rofé, “Joshua Son of Nun in the History of Biblical Tradition”, Tarbiẓ 73 (2004), p. 342
note 45 (Hebrew), proposes מורש or מורשת.
38 For the rendering of נבואה as “a prophetic offi ce” see P.C. Beentjes, “Prophets and Prophecy
in the Book of Ben Sira”, in M.H. Floyd & R.D. Haak (eds.), Prophets, Prophecy, and Prophetic
Texts in Second Temple Judaism (New York: T&T Clark, 2006), pp. 139-140. On Joshua as a prophet
in Ben Sira see further Rofé, “Joshua”, ibid; A. Goshen-Gottstein, “Ben Sira’s Praise of the Fa-
thers: A Canon-Conscious Reading”, in R. Egger-Wenzel (ed.), Ben Sira’s God (Berlin: de Gruyter,
2002), pp. 250-254; E. Koskenniemi, The Old Testament Miracle-Workers in Early Judaism (WUNT
2. Reihe, 206; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2005), pp. 28-31; J. Corley, “Canonical Assimilation in
Ben Sira’s Portrayal of Joshua and Samuel”, in J. Corley & H. van Grol (eds.), Rewriting Biblical
History (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2011), pp. 57-77; M. Witte, “Der "Kanon" heiliger Schrift en des antiken
Judentums im Spiegel des Buches Ben Sira/Jesus Sirach”, in E.-M. Becker & S. Scholz (eds.),
Kanon in Konstruktion und Dekonstruktion (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012), p. 241.
39 Berthelot, “Joshua”, p. 103, observes that, unlike Qumran texts, Ben Sira’s description of Joshua
emphasizes the latter’s miracles and battles. Yet, B.L. Mack, Wisdom and the Hebrew Epic: Ben
Sira's Hymn in Praise of the Fathers (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985), p. 206, notes
that Ben Sira presents Joshua as a “composite fi gure”, serving in a prophetic offi ce, but also a
warrior and a ruler. J. Corley, “Joshua as a Warrior in Hebrew Ben Sira”, Deuterocanonical and
Cognate Literature Yearbook (2010), pp. 207-248; idem, “Assimilation”, pp. 64-66, suggests that
Ben Sira’s depiction of Joshua as a prophet, an intercessor, and a warrior refl ects an assimilation
of his fi gure with other biblical fi gures, especially Moses and David.
40 On חסד as piety, rather than loyalty, in Second Temple texts see M. Kister & E. Qimron, “Ob
END FOOTNOTES

2 Maccabees (sometime between 160-124 BCE) alludes to the Book of Joshua
in its account of Judas’ attack against Kaspin (=Kisfin) in 12:13-16.48 While the
dwellers of this strongly fortified town reviled and blasphemed Judas and his
men, the latter “prayed to the great Master of the universe Who overthrew Jericho
in the time of Joshua without battering rams or siege engines”.49
A reference to the crossing of the Jordan, the conquest of the Promised Land
and the dispossession of the Canaanite nations is found in the historical sum-
mary in Judith 5:15-16 (Maccabean-Hasmonean era).50 The extermination of the
Canaanites is also featured in the Wisdom of Solomon (30 BCE-40 CE), claiming
that God provided them with an opportunity to repent and to avoid the divine
punishment (12:3-11).51
The Assumption of Moses (beginning of the first century CE52), presented as a
farewell prophetic speech of Moses to Joshua, depicts Joshua as “a man deemed
worthy by the Lord to be (Moses’) successor for the people”, entrusted with “the
tabernacle of the testimony” (1:5-7).53 Expanding on the scriptural account of Josh-
ua’s appointment, the Assumption of Moses describes Moses outlining Joshua’s
role as the one who will lead the people to the Promised Land, apportion it to
them, found a kingdom, and establish a local rule (1:8-9, 2:1-2). The bulk of the Next comes a
non-biblical scene, in which a terrified Joshua tears his clothes and falls to Moses’
feet (11:1), questioning Moses about the place of his burial and expressing doubts

FOOTNOTES
48 D.R. Schwartz, “Maccabees, Second Book of”, EDEJ, p. 907. Goldstein, 1 Maccabees, p. 36,
proposes a later date, aft er 78/77 BCE.
49 Quoted from J.A. Goldstein, 2 Maccabees (AB; Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1983), p. 430. It
has also been suggested that the description of several battles in 1-2 Macc allude to the Book of
Joshua. See Goldstein, 1 Maccabees, p. 381; B. Bar-Kochva, Judas Maccabeus: The Jewish Struggle
against the Seleucids (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989), p. 155; Chester, “Citing”,
p. 151. For a diff erent view, see K. Berthelot, “The Biblical Conquest of the Promised Land and
the Hasmonaean Wars according to 1 and 2 Maccabees”, in G. Xeravits & J. Zsengellér (eds.),
The Books of the Maccabees: History, Theology, Ideology (JSJS 118; Leiden: Brill, 2007), pp. 45-60.
50 B. Halpern-Amaru, “Judith, Book of”, EDEJ, p. 857.
51 R.D. Chesnutt,