4. Joshua as a WholeThe book of Joshua contains stories and other material from many sources; sagas of military confrontation, origin stories that explain phenomena familiar to Israelites of the monarchy (the etiological tales), lists of conquered kings, and lists of tribal territory. All of this material was organized to tell a story of lightning conquest, and it was all placed within the career of Joshua.The book of Joshua in its final form consists of three main parts all flowing smoothly in a linear fashion: the campaigns of conquest, the distribution of tribal territories, and covenant renewal before Joshua's death. Yet the surface simplicity of the story masks an underlying literary and historical complexity, as we have seen. Why was the conquest story told in this simplistic way? No doubt part of the reason has to do with historical memory and the creation of legends. Joshua was idealized and the sweep of victory was portrayed as absolute. The picture also has to do with the troubled times during which the story of occupation was shaped. It was crafted during the time of Babylonian domination in the sixth century B.C.E., so the writers placed emphasis on possession of the land as the fulfillment of promise. They stressed the faithfulness of Yahweh to his word, for they, too, were looking to reclaim their ancestral homeland, to recover a home of their own. To that end, the Deuteronomistic Historian framed the book with a theology of promise. Chapters 1 and 23-24 form the interpretive framework of the book. The opening address of Yahweh and the closing address of Joshua confirm that occupation of the Promised Land by the Israelites was in fulfillment of a promise made to the ancestors. On this promise, projected into the future again by the exiles who heard this story, Israel based its hope. Turning next to the book of Judges, we find that the people's lack of faith weakened their grip on the Promised Land.
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