Joshua 1–12 VOLUME 6B THE ANCHOR YALE BIBLE is a project of international and interfaith scope in which Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish scholars from many countries contribute individual volumes. The project is not sponsored by any ecclesiastical organization and is not intended to reflect any particular theological doctrine. THE ANCHOR YALE BIBLE is committed to producing commentaries in the tradition established half a century ago by the founders of the series, William Foxwell Albright and David Noel Freedman. It aims to present the best contemporary scholarship in a way that is accessible not only to scholars, but also to the educated nonspecialist. Its approach is grounded in exact translation of the ancient languages and an appreciation of the historical and cultural contexts in which the biblical books were written, supplemented by insights from modern methods, such as sociological and literary criticism. John J. Collins General Editor THE ANCHOR YALE BIBLE Joshua 1–12 A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary THOMAS B. DOZEMAN Published with assistance from the Louis Stern Memorial Fund. “Anchor Yale Bible” and the Anchor Yale logo are registered trademarks of Yale University. Copyright © 2015 by Thomas B. Dozeman. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. Yale University Press books may be purchased in quantity for educational, business, or promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected] (U.S. office) or [email protected] (U.K. office). Set in Adobe Garamond type by Newgen North America. Printed in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bible. Joshua, I–XII. English. Dozeman. 2015. Joshua 1–12 : a new translation with introduction and commentary / Thomas B. Dozeman. pages cm — (The Anchor Yale Bible ; 6B) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-30014975-3 (alk. paper) 1. Bible. Joshua, I–XII—Commentaries. I. Dozeman, Thomas B. II. Title. BS1293.D69 2015 222’.2077—dc23 2014031535 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992 (Permanence of Paper). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To David J. Klooster (June 28, 1953–June 2, 2012) Contents Preface Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations INTRODUCTION Overview Composition Textual Criticism Central Themes and Literary Structure Reception History BIBLIOGRAPHY TRANSLATION NOTES AND COMMENTS Commission of Joshua (1:1–18) Central Themes and Literary Structure Translation Notes Composition Comments Rahab, the Trickster (2:1–24) Central Themes and Literary Structure Translation Notes Composition Comments Crossing the Jordan (3:1–5:12) Central Themes and Literary Structure Translation Notes Composition Comments Destruction of Jericho (5:13–6:27) Central Themes and Literary Structure Translation Notes Composition Comments Sacrilege of Achan (7:1–26) Central Themes and Literary Structure Translation Notes Composition Comments Ambush of Ai and Ritual at Ebal and Gerizim (8:1–35) Central Themes and Literary Structure Translation Notes Composition Comments Gibeonite Deception (9:1–27) Central Themes and Literary Structure Translation Notes Composition Comments War Against the Southern Kings (10:1–43) Central Themes and Literary Structure Translation Notes Composition Comments War Against the Northern Kings (11:1–23) Central Themes and Literary Structure Translation Notes Composition Comments Defeated Kings of Royal Cities (12:1–24) Central Themes and Literary Structure Translation Notes Composition Comments Appendix I: Translation of the MT and the LXX Appendix II: Geographical Terms in the MT and LXX General Index Index of Authors Index of Ancient Sources