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{{Short description|Book of Joshua, chapter 8}}
{{Bible chapter|letname= Joshua 8 |previouslink= Joshua 7 |previousletter= chapter 7 | nextlink= Joshua 9 |nextletter= chapter 9 |book= [[Book of Joshua]] |biblepart=[[Old Testament]] | booknum= 6 |hbiblepart= [[Nevi'im]] | hbooknum = 1 |category= [[Nevi'im#Former Prophets|Former Prophets]] | filename=Leningrad-codex-06-joshua.pdf | size=250px |caption=<div style="width: 250px; text-align: center; line-height: 1em">The pages containing the [[Book of Joshua]] in [[Leningrad Codex]] (1008 CE).</div>}}
'''Joshua 8''' is the eighth [[Chapters and verses of the Bible|chapter]] of the [[Book of Joshua]] in the [[Hebrew Bible]] or in the [[Old Testament]] of the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Bible]].{{sfn|Halley|1965|pp=161–163}} According to Jewish tradition  the book was attributed to [[Joshua]], with additions by the high priests [[Eleazar]] and [[Phinehas]],<ref>[[Talmud]], ''Baba Bathra'' 14b-15a)</ref><ref name=gilad>Gilad, Elon. [https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-who-wrote-bible-s-kings-and-prophets-1.5374070 Who Really Wrote the Biblical Books of Kings and the Prophets?]  ''Haaretz'', June 25, 2015. Summary: The paean to King Josiah and exalted descriptions of the ancient Israelite empires beg the thought that he and his scribes lie behind the Deuteronomistic History.</ref> but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the [[Book of Deuteronomy|books of Deuteronomy]] to [[2 Kings]], attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king [[Josiah]] in 7th century BCE.<ref name=gilad/>{{sfn|Coogan|2007|p=314 Hebrew Bible}} This chapter focuses on the conquest of [[Ai (Canaan)|Ai]] under the leadership of [[Joshua]] and the renewal of covenant on Mounts Ebal and Gerizim,{{sfn|Coogan|2007|pp=326–328 Hebrew Bible}} a part of a section comprising Joshua 5:13–12:24 about the conquest of Canaan.{{sfn|McConville|2007|p=158}}
 
==Text==
This chapter was originally written in the [[Biblical Hebrew|Hebrew language]]. [[Chapters and verses of the Bible|It is divided into]] 35 verses.

===Textual witnesses===
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in [[Biblical Hebrew|Hebrew]] are of the [[Masoretic Text]] tradition, which includes the [[Codex Cairensis]] (895), [[Aleppo Codex]] (10th century), and [[Leningrad Codex|Codex Leningradensis]] (1008).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=35-37}} Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] including 4Q47 (4QJosh{{sup|a}}; 200–100 BCE) with extant verses 3–14, 18, also 34–35 (before 5:1).{{sfn|Ulrich|2010|pp=249, 251}}<ref name=thewaytoyahuweh>[https://thewaytoyahuweh.com/dead-sea-scrolls/general-info/#joshua Dead sea scrolls - Joshua]</ref>{{sfn|Fitzmyer|2008|p=34}}
<ref>[https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive/manuscript/4Q47-1 4Q47 at the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library]</ref>

Extant ancient manuscripts of a translation into [[Koine Greek]] known as the [[Septuagint]] (originally was made in the last few centuries BCE) include [[Codex Vaticanus]] ('''B'''; <math> \mathfrak{G}</math><sup>B</sup>; 4th century) and [[Codex Alexandrinus]] ('''A'''; <math> \mathfrak{G}</math><sup>A</sup>; 5th century).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=73-74}}{{efn|The whole book of Joshua is missing from the extant [[Codex Sinaiticus]].<ref>{{Catholic Encyclopedia|wstitle=Codex Sinaiticus}}</ref>}} Fragments of the [[Septuagint]] Greek text containing this chapter is found in manuscripts such as [[Biblical Manuscripts in the Freer Collection|Washington Manuscript I]] (5th century CE), and a reduced version of the Septuagint text is found in the illustrated [[Joshua Roll]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/language-culture/discrepancies-in-manuscripts-show-how-old-testament-scribes-edited-the-book-of-joshua|title=Discrepancies in manuscripts show how Old Testament scribes edited the Book of Joshua|date=January 29, 2018|website=University of Helsinki}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title=The septuagint-version of the book of Joshua|first=Martin|last=Rösel|authorlink=Martin Rösel|date=January 1, 2002|journal=Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament| volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=5–23 |via=Taylor and Francis+NEJM|doi=10.1080/09018320210000329|s2cid=161116376}}</ref><ref name="Arizona">[http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/illuman/9-10_08.html Facsimiles of Illuminated Manuscripts of the Medieval Period] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213003229/http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/illuman/9-10_08.html |date=2012-02-13 }}. Only contains Joshua chapter II to the end of chapter X</ref>

==Analysis==
The narrative of the Israelites conquering the land of Canaan comprises verses 5:13 to 12:24 of the Book of Joshua and has the following outline:{{sfn|Firth|2021|pp=27–29}}

:A. Jericho (5:13–6:27)
:'''B. Achan and Ai (7:1–8:29)'''
::1. The Sin of Achan (7:1-26)
:::a. Narrative Introduction (7:1)
:::b. Defeat at Ai (7:2-5)
:::c. Joshua's Prayer (7:6-9)
:::d. Process for Identifying the Guilty (7:10-15)
:::e. The Capture of Achan (7:16-21)
:::f. Execution of Achan and His Family (7:22-26)
::'''2. The Capture of Ai (8:1-29)'''
:::'''a. Narrative Introduction (8:1-2)'''
:::'''b. God's Plan for Capturing the City (8:3-9)'''
:::'''c. Implementation of God's Plan (8:10-13)'''
:::'''d. The Successful Ambush (8:14-23)'''
:::'''e. Destruction of Ai (8:24-29)'''
:'''C. Renewal at Mount Ebal (8:30–35)'''
::'''1. Building the Altar (8:30-31)'''
::'''2. Copying the Torah (8:32-33)'''
::'''3. Reading the Torah (8:34-35)'''
:D. The Gibeonite Deception (9:1–27)
:E. The Campaign in the South (10:1–43)
:F. The Campaign in the North and Summary List of Kings (11:1–12:24)

The narrative of Joshua 7–8 combines the story of Achan's offence against the 'devoted things', and the battle report concerning Ai, as the two themes are linked.{{sfn|McConville|2007|p=164}}

The firsf part of this chapter concerning the Battle against Ai has the following structure:
{{sfn|Harstad|2004|p=331}}
:1. YHWH encourages Joshua and command him to take Ai by ambush (8:1–2)
:2. Joshua organizes Israel for battle as YHWH commanded (8:3–13)
:3. Israel carries out the tactics of YHWH (8:14–17)
:4. YHWH directs Israel to victory through Joshua (8:18–23)
:5. The report of victory (8:24–29)

The second part (8:30–35) is an interlude for divine worship before the next military campaigns, taking place on two mountains, involving an altar, sacrifice, a copy of Torah and pronouncement of God's blessings and curses.{{sfn|Harstad|2004|pp=331–332}}

=={{Anchor|Verses 1–29}}Fall of Ai (8:1–29)==
With the problem in [[Joshua 7]] resolved, God is with his people again in the conquest of the land, so Ai, like Jericho before it, will fall to the Israelites (verse 2).{{sfn|McConville|2007|p=165}}  The narrative contains military and topographical details, as YHWH takes charge in the taking of Ai (verses 1–2), in contrast to the previous attempt, where Joshua took charge.{{sfn|McConville|2007|p=165}} Unlike Jericho, the people of Israel may take plunder after conquering Ai. Using the stratagem of pretended flight (cf. Judges 20:36–38), simulating the first defeat (verse 6, cf. 7:4–5), the Israel tricked the men of Ai to leave the city void of defense, so a second unit of Israelite army could get in from the west (opposite direction of a direct confrontation) and conquer the city, then went out to pinch the men of Ai from two sides and killed them all.{{sfn|McConville|2007|p=165}} Two memorials of the victory against Ai are established: the ash piles of the burnt city; and a heap of stones for the dead king of Ai (verses 28–29).{{sfn|McConville|2007|p=165}}

The report related to the sending of the unit for the ambush consists of two versions (one in verses 3–9 and the other in verses 10–13) which are both preserved in succession, starting and closing with similar phrases ("Joshua rose" in verses 3 and 10; "Joshua…that night… in the middle" in verses 9 and 13).{{sfn|Rösel|2011|p=124}}

===Verse 28===
:''So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation to this day.''<ref>{{bibleverse|Joshua|8:28|NKJV}} [[New King James Version|NKJV]]</ref>
*"A heap forever": that is, "permanent mound" or "permanently uninhabited mound".<ref>Note on Joshua 8:28 in [[New English Translation|NET Bible]]</ref>

=={{Anchor|Verses 30–35}}The covenant renewal at Mount Ebal (8:30–35)==
[[File:Shechem. Showing Ebal and Grizim, 77.Holy land photographed. Daniel B. Shepp. 1894.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Mount Ebal (north) and Gerizim (south) with the city of [[Shechem]] (now: Nablus) in the middle, photographed by Daniel B. Shepp. 1894.]]
The taking of Ai (and the implied defeat of Bethel as well) marks an important point in the conquest, that the ceremony reported here could be performed following the instruction in the [[Book of Deuteronomy]], that 'on the day that you cross over the Jordan', the people should setup large stones on [[Mount Ebal]], cover them with plaster, and write 'all the words of this law' on them, then to erect an altar for sacrifice (Deuteronomy 27:2–8), and solemnly reaffirm the covenant with God (Deuteronomy 27:11–26).{{sfn|McConville|2007|p=165}} The ceremony on Mounts Ebal and [[Mount Gerizim|Gerizim]], near ancient Shechem, made the 'book of the law', first only for Joshua himself as he led Israel into the land (Joshua 1:7-8), to become the rule for the whole people of Israel, which would lead to another covenant renewal ceremony at [[Shechem]] at the end of the book ([[Joshua 24]]).{{sfn|McConville|2007|p=166}}

==={{Anchor|Verse 30|Verse 31}}Verses 30–31===
:''{{sup|30}} Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel on Mount Ebal, {{sup|31}} as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the children of Israel. As is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, it was “an altar of uncut stones not shaped by iron tools.” They sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord on it, as well as peace offerings.''<ref>{{bibleverse|Joshua|8:30–31|MEV}} [[Modern English Version|MEV]]</ref>
*"Uncut stones": that is, "whole stones” in their natural condition, not carved or shaped artificially with iron  tools (“wielded iron”).<ref>Note [a] on Joshua 8:31 in NET Bible</ref>

==Archaeology==
[[File:IHM_מזבח_הר_עיבל.jpeg|thumb|right|200px|Ancient altar on [[Mount Ebal]].]]
Archaeological works in the 1930s at the location of '''[[Et-Tell]]''' or '''Khirbet Haijah''' showed that the city of [[Ai (Canaan)|Ai]], an early target for conquest in the putative Joshua account, had existed and been destroyed, but in the 22nd century BCE.<ref name= Albright1939>{{cite journal|last1=Albright|first1=W. F.|title= The Israelite Conquest of Canaan in the Light of Archaeology |journal=Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research |volume=74|date=1939 |issue= 74|pages=11–23|doi= 10.2307/3218878 |jstor= 3218878|s2cid=163336577}}</ref> Some alternate sites for Ai, such as Khirbet el-Maqatir or Khirbet Nisya, have been proposed which would partially resolve the discrepancy in dates, but these sites have not been widely accepted.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hawkins |first1= Ralph |title= How Israel Became a People |date=2015 |publisher= Abingdon |isbn= 978-1-4267-5487-6 |page= 109|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7QU7GFNe7nsC&pg=PT156 |access-date= 26 January 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
*[[Ambush]]
*[[Ark of the Covenant]]
*[[Bethel]]
*[[Blessing]]
*[[Children of Israel]]
*[[Curse]]
*[[Israelites]]
*[[Jericho]]
*[[Kohen]]
*[[Korban]]
*[[Levite]]s
*[[Moses]] 
*[[Mount Ebal]]
*[[Mount Ebal site]]
*[[Mount Gerizim]]
*[[Slaughter offering]]
*[[Torah]]
}}
*Related [[Bible]] parts: [[Joshua 6]], [[Joshua 7]]

==Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book | last= Beal |first = Lissa M. Wray | title = Joshua | editor-last1 = Longman | editor-first1= Tremper III | editor-first2 = Scot | editor-last2 = McKnight | series = The Story of God Bible Commentary| publisher = Zondervan Academic | year = 2019 |isbn = 978-0310490838 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-ip5DwAAQBAJ }}
*{{cite book | last= Coogan| first = Michael David | author-link= Michael D. Coogan | title = The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 | editor-last1 = Coogan | editor-first1= Michael David | editor-first2 = Marc Zvi | editor-last2 = Brettler | editor-first3 = Carol Ann | editor-last3 = Newsom | editor-first4= Pheme | editor-last4 = Perkins | edition= Augmented 3rd | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 2007 |isbn = 978-0195288810 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HmpMPgAACAAJ}}
*{{cite book|last = Firth |first = David G. |title = Joshua: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary | series = Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (EBTC) | edition=    illustrated | publisher = Lexham Press | year= 2021 | isbn= 9781683594406 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=McF5zQEACAAJ }}
*{{cite book|last = Fitzmyer|first = Joseph A.|authorlink= Joseph Fitzmyer |title = A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature|publisher = William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TILXeWJ2eNAC | year = 2008|isbn = 9780802862419|location = Grand Rapids, MI }}
*{{cite book | last= Halley | first= Henry H. | author-link= Henry Hampton Halley | title= Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary |edition=24th (revised)| publisher= Zondervan Publishing House | date= 1965 | url= https://archive.org/details/halleysbiblehand00henr | url-access= registration| isbn= 0-310-25720-4}}
*{{Cite book | last = Harstad | first = Adolph L. | title = Joshua |publisher  = Concordia Publishing House | year = 2004 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yEupPQAACAAJ | isbn = 978-0570063193}}
*{{Cite book | last = Hayes | first = Christine | title = Introduction to the Bible |publisher   = Yale University Press | year = 2015 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=SKbkXYHxvlAC |isbn = 978-0300188271}}
*{{cite book|last= McConville | first= Gordon | chapter = 9. Joshua | title=The Oxford Bible Commentary | editor-first1=John | editor-last1 = Barton | editor1-link = John Barton (theologian) | editor-first2=John | editor-last2= Muddiman | editor2-link = John Muddiman | publisher = Oxford University Press | edition= first (paperback) | year = 2007 | pages = 158–176 | isbn = 978-0199277186 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJdVkgEACAAJ | access-date=February 6, 2019}}
*{{Cite book | last = Rösel | first = Hartmut N. | title =Joshua | volume = 6 | series= Historical commentary on the Old Testament | edition = illustrated | publisher= Peeters | year= 2011 | isbn=  978-9042925922 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=HdontwAACAAJ }}
*{{Cite book | editor-last  = Ulrich | editor-first = Eugene | title = The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants | year = 2010 | publisher = Brill | url  = https://archive.org/details/TheBiblicalQumranScrolls }}
*{{cite book | last = Würthwein | first = Ernst | author-link = Ernst Würthwein | title = The Text of the Old Testament | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans |location = Grand Rapids, MI | year=  1995 | translator-first1 = Erroll F.| translator-last1 = Rhodes | isbn = 0-8028-0788-7 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FSNKSBObCYwC | access-date= January 26, 2019}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* [[Judaism|Jewish]] translations:
** [https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15792/showrashi/true Yehoshua - Joshua - Chapter 8 (Judaica Press)]. Hebrew text and English translation [with [[Rashi]]'s commentary] at Chabad.org
* [[Christianity|Christian]] translations:
** [http://www.gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php?passage=Joshua+8 ''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org] (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
** [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=6&chapter=8&version=9 Joshua chapter 8. Bible Gateway]

{{Book of Joshua}}

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[[Category:Book of Joshua chapters|08]]
[[Category:Mount Ebal]]