ABSTRACT
After the death of Moses, Joshua was commanded by God to lead the Jewish people into the Promised Land. After crossing the Jordan river, he captured Jericho and Ai. Subsequently he defeated both southern and northern kings. The second part of the Book of Joshua begins with a list of areas which had not been conquered in the plain and valley regions as well as on the coast. To encourage the people, Joshua delivered speeches enjoining them to remain steadfast in their faith. Recalling God’s past mercies, he ordered them to be obedient to the covenant. After Joshua’s death at the age of 110, the people began to form separate groups. Initially there were twelve tribes named after the sons of Jacob: Joshua and Benjamin (the sons of Rachel), Levi, Simeon, Reuben, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun (the sons of Leah), Dan and Napthali (the sons of Bilhah), God and Asher (the sons of Zilpah). When Levi became a special priestly group excluded from this territorial division, the tribe of Joseph was divided into two, named after his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
