Yehoshua Chapter 20: Cities on a Hill

Yehoshua Chapter 20: Cities on a Hill

Moshe set aside three cities of refuge in Deuteronomy and now Joshua completes the project. The three established by Moshe could not function without the three inside the land that Joshua establishes. The text lays out the exact locations of the cities: “So they set aside Kedesh in the hill country of Naphtali in Galilee, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba—that is, Hebron—in the hill country of Judah/ And across the Jordan, east of Jericho, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness, in the Tableland, from the tribe of Reuben; Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad; and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh” (וַיַּקְדִּשׁוּ אֶת־קֶדֶשׁ בַּגָּלִיל בְּהַר נַפְתָּלִי וְאֶת־שְׁכֶם בְּהַר אֶפְרַיִם וְאֶת־קִרְיַת אַרְבַּע הִיא חֶבְרוֹן בְּהַר יְהוּדָה׃ וּמֵעֵבֶר לְיַרְדֵּן יְרֵחוֹ מִזְרָחָה נָתְנוּ אֶת־בֶּצֶר בַּמִּדְבָּר בַּמִּישֹׁר מִמַּטֵּה רְאוּבֵן וְאֶת־רָאמֹת בַּגִּלְעָד מִמַּטֵּה גָד וְאֶת־גּוֹלָן בַּבָּשָׁן מִמַּטֵּה מְנַשֶּׁה) (verses 7-8). The Three in the trans-Jordan are easy to split. Each of the three tribes gets one city. This allows someone who needs to flee a close place no matter where they are. Inside Canaan, things would be more complicated with nine and half tribes. The cities are evenly spread out there as well, with one in the far north in Naftali, one in the center in Ephraim and one in the south in Yehuda. There is a geographical note that the text mentions- all three cities of refuge in Canaan were in hilltop cities. What would the Navi need to emphasize that there cities were on hills? Two of the cities in the trans-Jordan do not have geographical descriptors. Perhaps there was a strategic reason for the cities to be on hills. A city full of accidental murderers would be a target for the vengeful relatives, despite the decree of safety. The strategic hilltop location would provide extra security. Perhaps the high elevation also allowed the city elders and watchmen to be on the lookout for refugees. The ability to see someone running from afar would allow those in the city to quickly prepare for the arrival of a potential inhabitant in case a decision needed to be made post-haste. Perhaps the cities were high up to make it difficult to get to the cities. One could not willy-nilly approach one of the cities. One needed to exert the effort that only one fleeing for their life would exert. The cities could have been high up so as to be readily visible to those from afar. Because the cities in Canaan were only in a few tribal lands, unlike those in the Trans-Jordan, perhaps those fleeing from other tribal lands would not be as familiar with the terrain. It would be helpful then to be able to see these cities form far away. Finally, perhaps it was more symbolic. The cities of refuge represented the desire for law and order despite what local custom would be. Such symbols of a just society should be places up high for all to see and remember.

Yehoshua Chapter 19: Scattered Shimon

All the tribes receive select portions of land except for Shimon. “The portion of the Simeonites was part of the territory of the Judites; since the share of the Judites was larger than they needed, the Simeonites received a portion inside their portion” (וַיְהִי חֵבֶל בְּנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן מִתּוֹךְ נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה כִּי־הָיָה חֵלֶק בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה רַב מֵהֶם וַיִּנְחֲלוּ בְנֵי־שִׁמְעוֹן בְּתוֹךְ נַחֲלָתָם) (verse 9). The official line is that Shimon did not receive its own portion because Yehudah’s portion was too small, so it spilled over enveloping Shimon’s portion. It is a nice attempt to whitewash the situation. The only other tribe with portions in another is within the family of Yosef. And there, each tribe has its own main potion, but only overlap a little. Shimon is most likely treated different as a result of Moshe leaving Shimon out of the final blessings at the end of Deuteronomy. The commentators explain that Moshe did not give Shimon a blessing because of their sin in leading the rebellion at Baal Peor. Actually, Shimon is not the only tribe to be scattered throughout other territories without a set boundary of their own. The other tribe is Levi. Levi’s scattered lot was an oft repeated declaration starting back in Deuteronomy and continuing though the book of Joshua. The official line is that Levi is scattered as their portion is with Hashem, and they need to focus on Temple/Mishkan duties. Maybe Shimon’s lack of land does not have to do with Moshe’s lack of a blessing. Perhaps Shimon and Levi do not get portions because of Yaacov’s blessing. “Shimon and Levi are brothers. Instruments of violence are their wares/My soul will not enter their secret council, let my honor not be identified with their assembly. For in their anger they killed a man, and through their willfulness they maimed an ox/Cursed be their anger for it is powerful, and their fury for it is cruel. I will divide them throughout Yaakov and scatter them throughout [the land of] Israel” (שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי אַחִים כְּלֵי חָמָס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם׃ בְּסֹדָם אַל־תָּבֹא נַפְשִׁי בִּקְהָלָם אַל־תֵּחַד כְּבֹדִי כִּי בְאַפָּם הָרְגוּ אִישׁ וּבִרְצֹנָם עִקְּרוּ־שׁוֹר׃ אָרוּר אַפָּם כִּי עָז וְעֶבְרָתָם כִּי קָשָׁתָה אֲחַלְּקֵם בְּיַעֲקֹב וַאֲפִיצֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל) (Genesis 49:5-7). Yaacov was still upset with his two sons for the trick and massacre they led on Sechem following the kidnap and rape of their sister Dinah. Yaacov’s curse/blessing links the two tribes. Both tribes are told they would be scattered as a way to keep them forever separated. Levi’s reputation was only rehabilitated through the chet haegel and Levi’s support of Moshe against the people. Shimon only further sullied their reputation with the sin of Baal Peor. This could be why Shimon is scattered an ultimately subsumed into Yehudah, but Levi is scattered but still maintains their independence and role in the Temple. The text in Yehoshua may offer a hint to this as the text matches the blessing of Yaacov. Shimon is scattered in the tribe of Yehudah and the very next blessing after Yaacov discusses Shimon in Genesis is to Yehudah and chapter 20 of Yehoshua details the cities of the Levites. This could be the subtle way of the Navi giving the real reason why these two tribes are scattered.

Yehoshua 18: Seven Remain

Seven tribes remain without allocation of land. Reuven, Gad, Menashe, Yehuda, and Ephraim all had their land allocated already. Joshua sends cartographers out to map out the remaining part of the land and assign it to the remaining tribe (יהושע י״ח:ד׳: ״הָבוּ לָכֶם שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים לַשֵּׁבֶט וְאָקוּמָה וְאֲשַׁלְּחֵם וְיָקוּמוּ וְיִתְהַלְּכוּ בָאָרֶץ וְיִכְתְּבוּ אוֹתָהּ לְפִי נַחֲלָתָם וְיָבֹאוּ אֵלָי״). Then Joshua gathers everyone for a lottery (יהושע י״ח:ו׳: ״וְאַתֶּם תִּכְתְּבוּ אֶת־הָאָרֶץ שִׁבְעָה חֲלָקִים וַהֲבֵאתֶם אֵלַי הֵנָּה וְיָרִיתִי לָכֶם גּוֹרָל פֹּה לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ״). Is this the same lottery as the last chapter or is this a different lottery? The conquest seems to have been accomplished in order. First, the outer tribes conquered their land back in Deuteronomy. Next the two larger and more powerful tribes of Yehudah and the sons of Yosef conquered their territory. Now, the Navi focuses on the remaining tribes. Some commentators point to the fact that these other tribes were smaller so they banded together to help each other. They were afraid of conquering their areas and settling because then they would lose their fighting force. But the timeline does not seem to match the details. The outer tribes can be set aside as their territory was granted in Deuteronomy. Why would Joshua send out cartographers only for the smaller tribes? How did Yehudah and Yosef know the borders of their lands? It would make sense that the cartographers were sent to demarcate the whole land and then the land would be split. What would be the point of having a lottery for only two tribes? Also, how would the smaller tribes know what land to conquer without it being assigned? Based on the text, the entire land was conquered: “The land was now under their control” (verse 1) (יהושע י״ח:א׳: ״וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁלֹה וַיַּשְׁכִּינוּ שָׁם אֶת־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְהָאָרֶץ נִכְבְּשָׁה לִפְנֵיהֶם״). The issue was that the smaller tribes had not yet taken over their part: “but there remained seven tribes of the Israelites which had not yet received their portions.” (verse 2) (יהושע י״ח:ב׳: ״וַיִּוָּתְרוּ בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁבְעָה שְׁבָטִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא־חָלְקוּ אֶת־נַחֲלָתָם״). Yehudah and Yosef remain in their areas in the north and south, leaving the rest of the land open: “They shall divide it into seven parts—Judah shall remain by its territory in the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain by its territory in the north” (verse 5) (יהושע י״ח:ה׳: ״וְהִתְחַלְּקוּ אוֹתָהּ שִׁבְעָה חֲלָקִים יְהוּדָה יַעֲמֹד עַל־גְּבוּלוֹ מִנֶּגֶב וּבֵית־יוֹסֵף יַעַמְדוּ עַל־גְּבוּלָם מִצָּפוֹן״). If Yosef and Yehudah had received their portion by lottery already, why would Joshua have to confirm that they will remain in their areas? There are two possible answers here. The first is that there were two lotteries. The first demarcated the land for the larger tribes. Yosef and Yehudah were large and they were able to take over their areas easily. The rest of the tribes needed to band together to conquer the rest, which did not allow them to settle in a specific area. So now, there was a lot of open land, but none of the tribes knew were to go Joshua has a second lottery. The second option is that the lottery only happened now. Yehudah and Yosef had an “outer tribes” situation whereby they simply settled in the areas that the nation had conquered together because they were larger. Now, Joshua conducts a lottery demarcating the plots that retroactively confirmed the allotments to Yehudah and Yosef.

Yehoshua 17: You Get What You Get and You Don't Get Upset

“The Josephites complained to Joshua, saying, ‘Why have you assigned as our portion a single allotment and a single district, seeing that we are a numerous people whom the LORD has blessed so greatly?’” (verse 14) (יהושע י״ז:י״ד: ״וַיְדַבְּרוּ בְּנֵי־יוֹסֵף אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר מַדּוּעַ נָתַתָּ לִּי נַחֲלָה גּוֹרָל אֶחָד וְחֶבֶל אֶחָד וַאֲנִי עַם־רָב עַד אֲשֶׁר עַד־כֹּה בֵּרַכַנִי ה׳״). Why did the Josephites complain? Who were the Josephites? Rashi explains that really only the tribe of Menashe complained. Back in Deuteronomy God told Moshe to assign portions of the land to each tribe by size (במדבר כ״ו:נ״ד: ״לָרַב תַּרְבֶּה נַחֲלָתוֹ וְלַמְעַט תַּמְעִיט נַחֲלָתוֹ אִישׁ לְפִי פְקֻדָיו יֻתַּן נַחֲלָתוֹ״). According to Rashi, that size was set based on the population in the wilderness. Ephraim’s population subsequently decreased, so the tribe received more land than population and had no reason to complain. Menashe, on the other hand, exploded. They gained the most number of people- over 20,000. They went to Joshua to complain because the original allotment was too small. The issue with Rashi is that if the areas were predetermined back in Deuteronomy, what was the point of the lottery? Radak infers from here that each tribe received the exact same land size in even slices. But his interpretation does not match the geographical layout of the assigned cities. Perhaps Menashe was concerned that their tribe would continue to increase exponentially. Therefore, while they received a large territory now, the land was not large enough for the future. Joshua answer in the next verse is a good example of his evolution as a leader. After the Israelites lost the first battle of Ai, Joshua fell on his face and prayed to God. God responded that it was not time to fall down and that Joshua should just go up and attack the city again (יהושע ז׳:י׳: ״וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ קֻם־לָךְ לָמָּה זֶּה אַתָּה נֹפֵל עַל־פָּנֶיךָ״). Joshua’s response to the Josephites is the same: “‘If you are a numerous people,’ Joshua answered them, ‘go up to the forest country and clear an area for yourselves there…’” (יהושע י״ז:ט״ו: ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אִם־עַם־רָב אַתָּה עֲלֵה לְךָ הַיְּעָרָה וּבֵרֵאתָ לְךָ שָׁם״). If you want more land, then go take it yourself! Why are you complaining to me. Joshua does not have patience for complainers when so much of the land was still unconquered. This practical answer, however, creates another- why could there have been a discontent between what Gd planned and how things played out? Perhaps the answer to this second question is continuation of the theme of the people taking ownership of their destiny in Israel. Joshua’s instruction to the tribes of Joseph is that God provided a set location, but did not restrict them to this area. If they want, they can go expand their territory on their. The same thing will happen later with King David and Solomon. This should not be seen as a slight on what God gave, but instead of fulfillment of God’s desire- that the people become a self-sufficient nation.

Yehoshua 16: One for All and All for One

Judah was the first tribe in the lottery and Joseph is the second. This continues the trend of setting up these two tribes as conflicting leaders of the nation. In this very brief chapter there are two interesting points. The first is that Menashe is not referred to as half the tribe of Menashe here, even though this is referring to the half in Canaan and Moshe constantly referred to the half in the Transjordan as “half the tribe of Menashe”. The second is that Ephraim had some cities designated within the territory of Menashe. Both of these may be linked. Reuven and Gad approached Moshe to live on the other side of the Jordan, and Moshe also allocated some of that land to half the tribe of Manasseh in order to link the outer tribes with those in the land itself. That only works if the tribe of Menashe is still considered one tribe. This is probably why Joshua keeps Menashe whole here. The idea is that inside the land, Menashe is part of the larger Menashe tribe and should not be considered separate. Ephraim’s cities also serve the same function. Just like Moshe linked the outer tribes to the inner ones with Menashe, the lottery connects Ephraim to his brother Menashe with overlapping cities. In this way the tribe of Yosef- although split into three, is linked together as one unifying the tribes of Yosef as a counter weight to the tribe of Judah.