Yehoshua in the Fish? Fantasy, Faith, and Hidden Truths

 This is an origin story I had never heard and I’m fairlysure that most of you have not heard it before either.      And here’s how it goes:        Yehoshua’s father was a righteous man. He and his wife hadno children. He prayed passionately for a child, and at last, Hashem answeredhis prayers.   Yehoshua’s mother noticed that although she had becomepregnant, her husband was still not happy. He was crying and fasting even morethan before. Overwhelmed by his constant sorrow, she turned to him and said,“You should rejoice! Hashem has heard your prayers! We are going to have ababy!” But still, he remained troubled. Pressed daily by her concern, heeventually revealed the reason for his sadness: a message had come to him fromHeaven—the boy who will be born to you is destined to behead you.     His wife believed him, for she knew her husband was on agreat spiritual level. When the child was born, and it was indeed a boy, shequietly made a small box, coated it, placed the infant inside, and set himafloat upon the Nile.     One day, Pharaoh held a grand feast for all his ministers.Among the royal delicacies brought to the table was a very big fish. When itwas cut open before the king, to everyone's astonishment, a crying baby wasfound inside. Struck by the wonder, Pharaoh adopted the child and raised himwithin the palace. In time, the boy grew and was appointed Chief Executioner.     Years later, Yehoshua’s father fell into disfavor withPharaoh. The king ordered the executioner to behead him and seize his wife,children, and possessions, as was the cruel custom of the time. After beheadinghis own father, Yehoshua met his mother, who revealed to him the truth of hisorigins: how she had cast him into the river to save him, and how the big fishat the banquet had swallowed him. He believed her—he remembered being told thathe had been found at a banquet inside a fish. Though he had not known untilthat moment that the man he beheaded was his own father, he was overcome withremorse and did teshuvah. From that time on, he was called 'Yehoshua binNun', because in Aramaic, the word Nun means fish.     And then my reactions which may have been audible: “That’sinsane!” “That’s impossible !” “Wait… is that real?”     Now, full disclosure. When I read this, as you can tell,something bothered me.     I mean… it’s gripping, cinematic, spiritual—but also… what?!     So I did what any good Jew does when a story sounds too epicto be true—I started digging.     And here’s what I found.