Before you read the text or watch the video, consider the following: what have you been taught about Joshua and the battle of Jericho in the past?
Read Joshua 7, taking note of moments in the text that stand out to you. When you’re done reading, pause again to reflect on the following:
What questions do you have about the text? Is there anything that bothers you?
Do you notice anything about this story while reading this time that you have not noticed before?
Question for Discussion:
Did this video discussion help clarify any of the questions that came up for you while reading the text? What did you learn?
In today’s video, Dr. Baden says “my general rule is if priests are taking the lead in a story, priests wrote the story” [05:03]. Where do you see priests showing up as characters in this story? What symbolic and/or practical significance might their presence have had for the storyteller and ancient audience?
Is it possible to reconcile the problem of God-sanctioned violence (e.g., herem) in this story? Should attempts be made to morally reconcile the violence this text at all?
Do you think this story has value for modern readers given its legacy of violence? Why or why not?