Yehoshua 6: Shock and Awe

“Joshua fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down…” (https://youtu.be/IsEmF9urYDk). The story of the conquest of Jericho is one of the Bible stories that is famous beyond Judaism, including a popular Christian hymn describing the heroic battle (performed by Elvis in the linked clip). The story itself is a combination of a variety of strategies concocted by God and Joshua to announce the Israelite arrival in the land of Canaan in a way that served multiple purposes.The first was to strike fear in the hearts and minds of the local population. Jericho was known as a city with impenetrable walls. The city was slammed shut with the Israelites approaching. No one could enter.“Now Jericho was shut up tight because of the Israelites; no one went out and no one came in.” וִירִיחוֹ סֹגֶרֶת וּמְסֻגֶּרֶת מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין יוֹצֵא וְאֵין בָּא (Joshua 6:1) The shock and awe strategy was achieved in three parts. The first was the ceremonial encircling of the city accompanied by the shofar blowing and ending with the battle cry of the people.“You shall march around the city, all the warriors, going around the city once… and seven priests shall carry seven ram’s horn shofars before the Ark.”סֹבּוּ אֶת־הָעִיר כָּל־אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה הַקֵּף אֶת־הָעִיר פַּעַם אֶחָת… וְשִׁבְעָה כֹּהֲנִים יִשְׂאוּ שִׁבְעָה שׁוֹפְרוֹת הַיּוֹבְלִים לִפְנֵי הָאָרוֹן (Joshua 6:3–4) The second was the miraculous deconstruction of the indestructible walls. “When the people heard the sound of the shofar, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat.”וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ הָעָם אֶת־קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר וַיָּרִיעוּ הָעָם תְּרוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וַתִּפֹּל הַחוֹמָה תַּחְתֶּיהָ(Joshua 6:20) The third was the massacre of the entire population of the town. “They proscribed everything in the city to destruction—man and woman, young and old, ox, sheep, and donkey.” וַיַּחֲרִימוּ אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בָּעִיר מֵאִישׁ וְעַד־אִשָּׁה מִנַּעַר וְעַד־זָקֵן וְעַד־שׁוֹר וָשֶׂה וַחֲמוֹר לְפִי־חָרֶב(Joshua 6:21) This combination of miraculous intervention and brute strength sent shockwaves through the land and proclaimed Joshua as a tenacious leader. The importance of these three military notes is emphasized by their repetition in the chapter. But it was not all about destruction and death. The chapter also repeats another story—the rescue of Rahav and her family. God instructs the people to save Rahav, Joshua tells the two spies to save her, they save her, and then she is noted again in the summary. “But Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, ‘Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.’”וְלִשְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הַמְרַגְּלִים אָמַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֹּאוּ בֵּית־הָאִשָּׁה הַזּוֹנָה וְהוֹצִיאוּ מִשָּׁם אֶת־הָאִשָּׁה וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתֶּם לָהּ(Joshua 6:22) “So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahav and her father and her mother and her brothers and all who belonged to her.”וַיָּבֹאוּ הַנְּעָרִים הַמְרַגְּלִים וַיּוֹצִיאוּ אֶת־רָחָב וְאֶת־אָבִיהָ וְאֶת־אִמָּהּ וְאֶת־אַחֶיהָ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָהּ(Joshua 6:23) Helping Rahav and keeping the promise made to her also sends a message. The message is that those who assist with the conquest will be rewarded and saved, as opposed to those who stand in the way. The chapter also has a message for the Israelites. God will assist them in their conquest, but they must follow God’s instructions carefully. Circling the city both scares the local population, but also tests the discipline of the people. God’s commandment to keep the spoils holy is another test that the people fail in the next chapter. These three messages provide the basis for the story of Jericho leading off the conquest of the land. The power of God, the loyalty of God’s servants, and the promises kept are also why this story has resonated beyond its initial audience.