CHAP. XII.

The History of Joshua, containing his Government and Wars with the Canaanites. The Passage of the Israelites over Jordan. The siege of Jericho. The sin of Achan, and his punishment. Of the Gibeonites, and their Conquest by Joshua. How Joshua divided the Land of Canaan among the Israelites. The Government settled in these new Conquests by Joshua. The Death of Joshua, and his Character. The History of Rahab. Of Urim and Thummim.

S. DID

ID Joshua march immediate. ly over Jordan after the mourning for Moses was expired?

ened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee.'

S. What precautions were they that Joshua had taken?

T. He had sent out two spies, supposed to be Caleb and Phineas, to Jericho; that by their report of the country, and the strength of the city, he might be more able to know how to approach and attack it.

S. What report did these spics bring to Joshua?

T. Joshua was sensible of the great loss he had in the death of Moses, and of the great danger which might follow a precipitate march against a numerous and powerful people, who were well acquainted with the intended invasions by the Israelites; and had not only fortified their towns, but united their forces from different nations, to give them battle; and therefore he did not move immediately, till he had taken some necessary precautions; nor indeed till God appeared to him in the sanctuary, and commanded him to go over Jordan with all the people, with a promise of success in all their undertakings. S. Did Joshua obey the voice of to escape; that they had in respect God?

T. He immediately ordered his officers to make proclamation to the whole host,as also to the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites, to prepare for their expedition over Jordan within three days.

T. They informed him that they had been discovered as they were going to the inn, and of the measure that Rahab their hostess (for that is the meaning of the word harlot in the original) took to secure them from those that were sent to seize them, till opportunity served them

of this kindness to them, assured her that she and her family should be preserved, when the city should fall into the hands of the Israelites. That she also told them of the general dread and panic which seized the people of the country and

S. Did the people obey this order city, from the time of the Israelites of Joshua?

T They with one consent answered Joshua, saying, 'All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us we will go: according as we heark

conquest of Sihon and Og: and that being let down over the wall of the city, from a window in Rahab's house, they had escaped to the moun tains, she having directed their pursuers, to the fords of Jordan; that

after three days, having ventured down to the fords, they had found the passage clear and were come back safe. They also told Joshua they were firmly persuaded, that the Lord has delivered into their hands all the land; for that all the inhabitants of the country fainted because of us.

T. He enjoined the people to sanctify themselves, and marched from Shittim early next morning to the east side of the river Jordan, which was about seven miles.

T. Some derive this word from S. What did Joshua upon this fa- the Hebrew Jor, a spring, and Dan, yourable report? a small town near the sources of this river, which rises at Phiala, 120 furlongs from Cæsarea Philippi, a little on the right-hand, and not much out of the way to Tranchonitis. It passes through a cave called Panion, and from thence crosses the lands and fens of the lake Semechon; and running 120 furlongs more, passes under the city Julias, which is Bethsaida, and so over the lake Genesareth, or Tiberias; and then running a long way through

S. Did the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites, accompany Joshua? T. Forty thousand of them did. The rest, about 60,000, were left to defend their new conquests against any attempts which might be made, had the whole passed over.

S. What was the order of their a desert empties itself into the march over Jordan?

T. When the army was come within a small distance of the place where they were to cross the river, Joshua commanded the priests, bearing the ark, to lead the way, and directed each tribe to follow, in the order in which they were used to march. As soon as the priests feet touched the river, the stream instantaneously divided; the waters above, or towards the head of Jordan, miraculously rolling back as far as the city of Adam, near Zaretan, which was situate towards the south of the sea of Cinnereth or Galilee; and those below continuing their course towards the Dead-sea; so that there remained a dry passage for about 18 miles. When the priests were got into the middle of the channel, there they were ordered to stand still, till the whole multitude were got

lake Asphaltites, or Dead-sea; so
that it extends its course quite from
the northern to the southern boun-
Its banks
dary of the Holy-land.
are covered with bushes and trees,
which give shelter to lions, and o-
ther wild beasts: and to their being
obliged to leave that situation, at the
times those banks are overflowed,,
this passage of the prophet Jeremiah
alludes. He shall come up, like a
lion from the swellings of Jordan.

S. What other directions did Joshua give on this occasion?

T. To commemorate this miraculous and safe passage through that part of the river, where no body had ever passed before; he commanded before the priests left the river, that twelve great stones be set up in the midst of the channel, where the. priests stood; and also twelve more. to be brought from the midst of Jor

dan, by a man out of each tribe, to be set up in the place where the army should lie the ensuing night.

S. night?

Where did they encamp that

T. About two miles east of Jericho, where they set up the twelve stones taken out of Jordan; and in memorial that God had now taken away their reproach of the Egyptian servitude, and performed his covenant, by bringing them into the land of promise, that camp was called Gilgal, which signifies rolling, or taking away.

S. Did Joshua march immediately against Jericho ?

T. No; he stayed a considerable time at Gilgal; where he renewed the rite of circumcision, which had been intermitted near forty years. and kept the passover on the 19 day of the month. At this time the manna ceased, and the Israelites eat of the corn of the land of Ca. naan. During Joshua's stay here, and while he was taking a survey of Jericho, in order to concert the best way to attack it, there appeared to him a person cloathed in armour, and standing at some distance, with a drawn sword in his hand undaunted at this unusual sight, Joshua advanced, and demanded of what party he was; the vision replied, that he was for the host of Israel, whose captain and guardian he was, and directed him how to take Jericho.

S. What account have we of the. city of Jericho ?

T. It was a city of Canaan, about seven leagues from Jerusalem, and two from Jordan; it was walled round, and fortified with strong gates. Moses called it the city of palm-trees, because they were very

numerous thereabouts; also balsam trees, whose liquor was much esteemed by the ancients. The plain of Jericho was formerly watered by a rivulet, that was salt and bitter, till the prophet Elisha made it sweet; by which miracle the adjacent country became the most fertile land in those parts

S. What was the form of the siege?

T. The army marched round the city six days successively, with se ven priests, with trumpets of rams horns in their hands, going before the ark; on the seventh day, after they had made the same procession seven times, Joshua commanded the priests upon a signal given to them to blow a long blast with their trumpets and the people on a sudden gave a loud shout in token of their assurance of victory, and the walls of the city instantly fell flat to the ground; then the Israelites entered, and put every man, woman, child, and beast to the sword, excepting Rabab and such relations as she had taken under the protection of her roof, according to the stipulation made with her by the spics; and then they burned the city, Joshua adding this prophetic imprecation-cursed be the man before the Lord, that raiseth up and buildeth this city Jericho; he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

S. Was this prophetic imprecation ever fulfilled?

T. In the days of Ahab king of Israel, Hiel the Bethelite, taken with the beauty of its situation, rebuilt Jericho; but not without this mark of the divine displeasure; for he laid the foundation thereof in A

biram his first-born, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub. However, God proceeded no further against the new inhabitants for it became so famous afterwards, that in the days of the last kings of Judah, it was inferior to none, but Jerusalem. Here Herod the Great built a royal palace, in which he died; and it was adorned with an hippodromus, or ridingschool, where the Jewish nobles were taught the great horse, and other arts of chivalry; it also had an amphitheatre, and other magnificent buildings. It was the dwelling-place of Zaccheus, and was honoured with the presence, and some miracles of

Christ.

S. Is this city yet standing?

T. No: for the treachery of its inhabitants, during the siege of Jerusalem, provoking the Romans to destroy it, it was never after rebuilt; though there was another eity of that name, founded in those parts, which does not appear to have been of any account or bigness; and is now dwindled into a poor village of the Arabs. The ruins of the two former cities are still to be seen by those that travel that

way.

S. Did the Israelites save nothing in the destruction of Jericho?

7. Yes they preserved the silver and gold, and vessels of brass and iron; which were put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

S. Did none of the Israelites take of the spoil, and retain it for his private use?

ment, which ought to have perished in the flames; and likewise secreted some of the silver and gold, which had been all devoted to the service of God.

S. How was Achan detected!

T. This crime brought upon Israel the anger of the Lord, which manifested itself in their bad success in their attempt against the lit. tle city Ai, or Hai, which was situate on the east of Bethel, about twelve miles from Jericho, and four from Bethel. Three thousand men whom Joshua sent to reduce this place, were put to flight, and about thirty-six killed in their retreat. This defeat struck such a damp upon the people's courage, that Joshua was forced to have recourse to God,

was graciously pleased to answer him, that his commands relating to the spoil of the city Jericho, had been sacrilegiously infringed, and ordered the offender to be put to death, and directed him to a method how to discover who he was. Joshua then called all the tribes together before the tabernacle; where, by casting the lot first upon the tribes, and so proceeding from the tribe to families, from family to households, and from household to the particular persons in that household, Achan was taken who confessed that he had secreted a royal garment, a wedge of gold, and two hundred shekels of silver, which he had hid in the midst of his tent.

S. How was he punished?

T. He, and his sons, daughters, cattle, tent, and all his moveables, were brought into the valley, which from him was afterwards called A. char; where he, with his family,

T. Yes; Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, who was the son of Judah, took privately a Babylonish gar- was stoned to death, and all his