From the conquest of Canaan to the stories of Samson, the books of Joshua and Judges describe Israel in its formative years as a community: no longer wandering in the desert, and not yet a kingdom proper. These books treat the questions of how Israel is to live alongside other peoples and other nations, how to wage holy war, how to self-govern. And they are shaped by the overarching issue of the community’s obedience to the divine will – and what befalls individuals and Israel as a whole when obedience is lacking. This study explores all these issues, and also asks probing questions about the historical realities behind these stories and about the moral issues raised throughout.
