Images of Joshua in the Bible and Their Reception

Zev Farber

• Editorial: De Gruyter
• Año: 2016
• ISBN:
  9783110383669
• Edición: 1
• Categoría: Theology & Religion
• Categoría: Biblical Studies

The central theme of the book is the relationship between a hero or cultural icon and the cultures in which he or she is venerated. On one hand, a hero cannot remain a static character if he or she is to appeal to diverse and dynamic communities. On the other hand, a traditional icon should retain some basic features in order to remain recognizable. Joshua son of Nun is an iconic figure of Israelite cultural memory described at length in the Hebrew Bible and venerated in numerous religious traditions. This book uses Joshua as a test case. It tackles reception and redaction history, focusing on the use and development of Joshua's character and the deployment of his various images in the narratives and texts of several religious traditions. I look for continuities and discontinuities between traditions, as well as cross-pollination and polemic. The first two chapters look at Joshua's portrayal in biblical literature, using both synchronic (literary analysis) as well as diachronic (Überlieferungsgeschichte and redaction/source criticism) methodologies. The other four chapters focus on the reception history of Joshua in Second Temple and Hellenistic Jewish literature, in the medieval (Arabic) Samaritan Book of Joshua, in the New Testament and Church Fathers, and in Rabbinic literature.

Chapter 1 – Biblical Joshua(s)

There are too many distinctive features of
Joshua’s characterization to read it as
exclusively paradigmatic or idealized.

Sarah Lebhar Hall 37

As the biblical text is the earliest written introduction to the character of Yehoshua bin Nun (Joshua), a detailed survey of his images in the Bible seems the proper place to start. In this chapter, the biblical text(s) will be analyzed to get a sense for how the Bible as a whole—or, more accurately, the Primary History as a whole—presents Joshua to its readers. To do so, literary analysis of the final forms of the text—even in final form criticism textual variants and multiple editions must be taken into account—wil be deployed. As will be seen, Joshua is presented as a complex and multifaceted character in the biblical texts—one that cannot be captured in one image or one sentence.

Exodus and Numbers

Battle with Amalek: Joshua as Warrior

Joshua appears in the Bible without a proper introduction.38 He is given no patronymic and no tribal affiliation, only a sword and orders to muster the troops and engage the enemy. The orders come directly from Moses and leave the reader wondering what the basis for Joshua’s selection had been. Had Joshua demonstrated military prowess or leadership skills in prior, unreported contexts? The text of the Torah offers no answer. Nevertheless, in the course of the story, Joshua does demonstrate that Moses’ faith in him was well-placed. The Amalekites are handily defeated, Joshua having “weakened them by the sword.”

Despite Joshua’s obvious importance in this account, his position contrasts with that of two other characters that appear to outrank him, namely Aaron and Hur.39 While Joshua must take charge of the “mundane task” of organizing an army and doing battle with the enemy, Aaron and Hur are to accompany Moses to the top of a mountain. There Moses will stand with his arms in the air, the staff of God in his hand; Moses’ raised arms are the key to an Israelite victory. Aaron and Hur’s role begins as ceremonial. As the battle rages on, however, and Moses’ arms begin to tire, it falls to his two attendants to prop them up.

The story ends with an important twist. God commands Moses to write on a scroll that God swears to annihilate Amalek in the future. Further, Moses is instructed to read this scroll aloud, but only to Joshua. As this command comes directly from YHWH, the reader understands that Joshua has more than succeeded in his task as military commander, and that God has chosen him to continue the struggle against the hated Amalekites.40

Joshua as Moses’ Attendant – Part One

When next we meet Joshua (Exod 24), he has earned the title of Moses’ attendant (משרת משה). This time, Joshua will accompany the master up the mountain, while Moses informs the elders that any Israelite with an urgent matter (בעל דברים) should approach Aaron and Hur. The term בעל דברים invokes for the reader the newly created legal hierarchy described in Exodus 18.41 In that account, Moses stands at the pinnacle of the legal structure, dealing with only the most difficult matters. In his absence, this will be the job of Aaron and Hur.

The choice of Joshua to accompany Moses up the mountain may indicate Moses’ intention to groom Joshua for a future leadership position. Nevertheless, at this point in the narrative, Joshua has not yet attained a senior position, as he was not part of the meal with YHWH recorded earlier in the chapter.42

The reader next encounters Joshua on the mountain, although apparently not all the way up top with Moses.43 Having just been informed of the Israelite apostasy, Moses encounters Joshua on his way down the mountain. Joshua does not yet know what is happening in the camp. Nonetheless, perhaps due to his proximity to it, Joshua hears the noise in the camp and speculates on what was occurring. Joshua’s speculation turns out to be incorrect, but, for this very reason, is telling. Joshua assumes that the Israelites have been attacked and the noises he hears are the cries of battle.

Joshua’s inclination towards a military interpretation reflects the aspect of his character that first brings him to prominence; he is a general at heart. Moses takes note of this in his response, which has strong intertextual resonances with the account of the battle of Amalek in chapter 17, where Joshua features prominantly.

The resonances between the two stories do not appear fortuitous, but seem designed to underscore a significant disparity between the two accounts. When Aaron and Hur accompany Moses to the top of a mountain, leaving Joshua responsible for the people, everything goes smoothly. However, when Joshua accompanies Moses to the top of a mountain and Aaron and Hur are left responsible, the entire camp falls apart.44This unstated comparison foreshadows the eventual choice of Joshua as the next leader of Israel.

The final mention of Joshua in Exodus (33:11) contrasts powerfully with his image in chapter 17. In this account, Moses, having slaughtered the goldencalf worshipers, sets up a tent—the Tent of Meeting (ohel mo‘ed)—outside the camp. The tent would function as a sort of sanctuary for God to manifest God’s presence at a safe distance from the apostate Israelites. Moses frequents this tent, where he converses with YHWH face to face. In many ways, the tent parallels the mountains in the previous stories. Earlier, Moses was required to climb a mountain to meet with God now God will descend to meet with Moses. Moses would spend his time travelling between the Israelite camp and the tent sanctuary, whereas “his young attendant Joshua son of Nun was never absent from the tent” (Exod 33:11). This is the first time the Torah uses Joshua’s patronymic and references his youth.45

In the context of the story, the contrast between Joshua and the people of Israel in general could not be more pronounced. YHWH refuses to dwell with the people. They can only watch as Moses exits their camp and enters the tent where God’s glory resides. Even so, God grants Joshua permission to dwell in God’s tent. The reader cannot help but guess that God will eventually choose Joshua as the only worthy successor to Moses.

Joshua as Moses’ Attendant – Part Two

In the book of Numbers, the biblical description of Joshua picks up where it left off (Joshua does not appear in Leviticus at all), with Joshua as Moses’ attendant (11:28). Moses feels overwhelmed as the sole leader of Israel and begs God to give him some prophetic partners with whom he can share the burden of leadership. God agrees to these terms and organizes a group of 70 elders to meet outside the camp and receive a piece of Moses’ “prophetic spirit.”

Two of the intended recipients of this divine grace, Eldad and Medad, do not make it to the meeting, and begin to prophesy in the camp. A young messenger runs to tell Moses what is occurring in the camp, and the message is overheard by “Joshua son of Nun, attendant of Moses, one of his hand-picked (men).”46 This description of Joshua contains some internal tension. On one hand, Joshua is Moses’ attendant, i. e. the only one, but on the other hand, he is also one of his hand-picked men, i. e. one of many.

Joshua reacts to the news of Eldad’s and Medad’s public prophesying by blurting out the suggestion: “My master, Moses, restrain them!” Moses shrugs off the impetuous advice, berating Joshua for being overzealous. In fact, Moses states, he would be more than happy if God would share his spirit with all of Israel.

This exchange expresses well the unique position of Joshua. Joshua is one of Moses’ picked men and Moses’ attendant. Joshua’s position in the narrative is conspicuously important. He is one of the few named characters other than Moses. Furthermore, he clearly feels comfortable offering his own opinions to Moses bluntly, albeit respectfully, in “full court.” Nevertheless, Joshua does not appear on the list of the 70 men chosen to share the burden of leadership with Moses.

The exchange between Joshua and Moses in this account has much in common with their exchange on Mount Sinai recorded in Exodus 34. Again Joshua jumps to a military evaluation of the situation, understanding the public prophesying of Eldad and Medad as a type of rebellion against Moses’ authority requiring a forceful reaction. The Torah demonstrates the close relationship between Joshua and Moses by having Moses respond with gentle censure, recasting the situation in a different light.

Joshua as Loyal Scout

In Numbers chapter 12, as preparation for the invasion of Canaan, YHWH commands Moses to send scouts to traverse the land and deliver a report. The scouts are to be leaders in their respective tribes (נשיאים), although, presumably, younger than the tribal chieftains, considering the nature of the task.47 The scout chosen for the tribe of Ephraim is Hoshea son of Nun, whom, the reader is informed, Moses renamed Joshua (Num 13:8, 16).

From this short introduction, the reader learns some important information about Joshua. First, and perhaps most surprisingly, his name isn’t actually Joshua; that name was given him by Moses. Since the text never informs the reader of when this occurred, one is left wondering whether the renaming occurred before the battle with Amalek, or whether the name used in that story should be understood as a retrojection.48

Second, we learn of Joshua’s tribal affiliation for the first time. Up until this point, Joshua has been more of a national figure, an understudy to Moses and chief of the army. Picturing Joshua as an Ephraimite and an up-and-coming leader of his own tribe adds a new dimension to his character. Whether there will ever be tension between his tribal and national allegiances is a question the reader is left to ponder as he or she reads further on into the primary history.49

Joshua’s speaking part comes late in the narrative, only after an initial interchange between the ten “rogue scouts” and the scout from Judah, Caleb ben Jephuneh. In their first report, the majority of the scouts proclaim publicly that the inhabitants of Canaan are simply too powerful to overcome. Caleb responds to his colleagues that the conquest of the land is eminently doable, and that the Israelites should commence with the invasion forthwith. Caleb’s enthusiasm only exacerbates the situation, causing the remaining scouts...