Dividing up the Land:
For many years the Israelites had still not yet conquered all of the land that the Lord had promised them. “When Joshua was old and advanced in years, the Lord said to him: “Though now you are old and advanced in years, a very large part of the land still remains to be conquered.”” (Josh. 13:1) This unconquered land included lands of the Philistines in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. As noted earlier, Gath is where David will later have to fight a remnant of the Amorites, the giant Goliath. Caleb notes that even though he is now 85 years old, he is “still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me forth..” (Josh.14:11) Caleb vows even in his advanced years to drive out the Anakim from the territory promised to him. Joshua gives Caleb “Kiriath-arba” or “Arba,” which is also known as Hebron. From Hebron, “Caleb drove out from there the three Anakim, the descendants of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.” (Josh. 15:14) Caleb is still driving out the giant Anakim from the land. Joshua further designates all the different regions and lands for each tribe of Israel. They are to go forth and settle the land, and drive out the Canaanites from it, any that remain there. “Jebus” the name used of Jerusalem at the time, is listed as still being occupied by the Canaanites.
Conquering the Land:
The ancient Near East writers often employed hyperbole to exaggerate their military victories and conquests. Joshua seems to have done so here since all of the Canaanites were not totally driven out from the land. But, any organized resistance to the Israelites presence is eventually eliminated.
Archeological Evidence, the Merneptah Stele, and Pig Bones:
There are generally two timeframes suggested for when Joshua and the Israelites conquered the land: (1) an early 15th century BC (1400’s BC); or (2) a late 13th century BC (1200’s BC) time of conquest. Archeological evidence, including the “Merneptah Stele,” shows the presence of Israel in the land of Canaan by at least 1209 BC. It shows a rapid growth of population and villages which could be explained by the Israelite migration there. [The Merneptah Stele is an Egyptian stele detailing their military conquests from the Egyptian King Merneptah from 1213 to 1203 BC, and it directly mentions the nation “Israel.”] The archeological evidence of the towns from that time period significantly show little to no evidence of “pig bones,” which would be highly suggestive in distinguishing the Israelite settlements from the pagan Canaanite settlements.
Joshua Sets up the Meeting Tent in Shiloh:
“After they had subdued the land, the whole community of the Israelites assembled at Shiloh, where they set up the meeting tent.” (Josh. 18:1) Shiloh becomes the new location for the Tabernacle and the Meeting Tent with the Lord. Seven tribes of Israel had still not received their land heritage and settled the land, so Joshua instructed them to do so. The Lord also instructs them to set up the “asylum cities” for those accused of unintentional homicide, so they can find refuge there.
The Promised Land Finally Settled:
“And so the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to their fathers he would give them. Once they had conquered and occupied it, the Lord gave them peace on every side, just as he had promised their fathers. Not one of their enemies could withstand them; the Lord brought all their enemies under their power. Not a single promise that the Lord made to the house of Israel was broken; every one was fulfilled.” (Josh. 21:43-45)
Joshua’s Final Plea and Covenant Renewal:
“Many years later, after the Lord had given the Israelites rest from all their enemies round about them, and when Joshua was old and advanced in years, he summoned all Israel . . said to them: “I am old and advanced in years. . . Therefore strive hard to observe and carry out all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, not straying from it in any way, or mingling with these nations while they survive among you. You must not invoke their gods, or swear by them, or serve them, or worship them, but you must remain loyal to the Lord, your God, as you have been to this day.” (Josh. 23:1-2, 6-8)
As for Me and My Household, We will Serve the Lord:
Joshua tells the Israelites they must choose who they serve. Do they want to serve “the gods your fathers served” or do they want to serve the Lord? “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if you be unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Josh. 24:14-15) This is the famous final saying from Joshua often quoted by Christians “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Covenant Renewal at Shechem:
Then, Joshua leads Israel in a Covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem. “Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was in the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, “This stone shall be our witness, for it has heard all the words which the Lord spoke to us. It shall be a witness against you, should you wish to deny your God.” (Josh. 24:26-28) The whole object of the Exodus was to occupy the Promised Land, and to use “the land” for the worship of the one true God, Yahweh. Now, that the land is settled, the Israelites can move on to the next stage of their Exodus, that is, to worship God. The purpose of the land is to worship God. The land is to be a sanctuary of God, a theocracy, if you will.
The Death of Joshua:
Finally, at the age of 110 years old, Joshua died. He was buried at “Timnath-serah in the mountain region of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.” (Josh. 24:30) This is most probably the modern Palestinian village of “Kefr Haris” in the West Bank. With that, the Book of Joshua, an epilogue to the Pentateuch (or, the five Books of Moses), comes to an end.