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Chap. xii. 7, 8. "And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baal-gad in the valley of Lebanon, even unto the Mount Halak that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions; in the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites," &c.

But in this the book contradicts itself; for in xiii. 1, sqq., it is said, "Now Joshua was old and stricken in years, and Jehovah said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed."" Then follows a list of the countries still in the hands of the Canaanites.

Again, in xxiii. 4, Joshua says, "I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, . . . . . . and Jehovah, your God, shall expel them for you." The contradiction is striking between the following passages:

Chap. x. 40. "So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded."

Chap. xi. 16, 17. "So Joshua took all that land, the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same; from the Mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baal-gad, in the valley of Lebanon, under Mount

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land that yet remaineth: all the Chap. xiii. 2-6." "This is the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, from Sihor, which is before Ægypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothithes, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites: from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites : and the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon toward the sunrising,

Especially verse 4.

Hermon and all their kings he took, and smote them, and slew them."

from Baal-gad, under Mount Hermon, unto the entering into Hamath, all the inhabitants of the hill-country, from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim, and all the Sidonians them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee."

In reference to single conquests, it contains the most striking contradictions and inaccuracies.

1. CONQUEST OF HEBRON.

Chap. x. 36, 37. "And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it: and they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, (according to all that he had done to Eglon,) but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein."

Here the destruction of the city, the king, and the inhabitants, is declared to be total. But in the next chapter, Joshua conquers Hebron at another date."

Chap. xi. 21. "And at that time came Joshua, and cut off the Anakims from the mountains; from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel Joshua destroyed them utterly, with their cities."

Nor is this all; for, still later, it remains unconquered, and Caleb, an old man, boasts that he is still strong for war, and says to Joshua,

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[This statement may refer to a previous conquest. But it does not affect the general assertion in the text.]

Chap. xiv. 12, 13. "Now therefore give me this mountain, [Hebron,] whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest, in that day, how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, Hebron for an inheritance."

Still further, at a subsequent date, Caleb drives out the three Anakim, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, from Hebron. But, again, it is said in Judg. i. 9-11, that, after the death of Joshua, the children of Judah went up to Hebron, fought the Canaanites who dwelt there, and slew the same three Anakim-Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai-whom Caleb had killed before."

2. CONQUEST OF DEBIR.

Chap. x. 38, 39. "And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it: and he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king."

The same event is related above, in xi. 21; and after the conquest of Hebron, Caleb does what is above related.

Chap. xv. 15-17. "And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir, and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher.....

"And Caleb said, 'He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.' And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife."

König (Alt. Test. Studien, vol. i. p. 22) thinks two conquests of Hebron are spoken of. Stähelin, who reviews König in Stud. und Krit. for 1837, p. 261, thinks the author generalized one, and referred the other to a special occasion. (?)

After the death of Joshua, the same event is said to take place; and it is described in almost the same words, in Judg. i. 11-13.

3. CONQUEST OF THE NORTH, SOUTH, AND WEST PART OF CANAAN.

Chap. x. 40-42. "So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel commanded. And Joshua smote them from Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen even unto Gibeon. And all these kings, and their land, did Joshua take at one time; because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel."

In xi. 8, he conquers the north part of the land, and “left none remaining;" and in verse 16, sqq., it is related again that he conquered (or had conquered) the south country and the whole land, "the valley, the plain, the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same," and the entire country, from its northern to its most southern limit. But, in xiii. 2-6, this very tract of country is mainly in the hands of the old possessors.

Chap. xiii. 2-6. "This is the land that yet remaineth all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, from Sihor, which is before Ægypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites: from the south all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek to the borders of the Amorites: and the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon toward the sunrising, from Baal-gad under Mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath. All the inhabitants of the hill-country from Lebanon unto Misrephoth-maim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee."

Compare, also, xi. 10, sq., and Judg. iv. 2, sqq.

4. THE CONQUEST OF SEVERAL Kings.

Chap. xii. 12, sq. In the catalogue of the kings conquered by Joshua, we find it related that the king of Gezer was overcome. But, in Judg. i. 29, it appears Gezer had never been conquered" Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer," &c.

Verse 16, he conquers the king of Beth-el. But, Judg. i. 22, sqq., after the death of Joshua, the children of Joseph attacked Beth-el, gained entrance through the treachery of one of its citizens, and "smote the city with the edge of the sword."

In verses 21 and 23, it is said the king of Taanach, and the king of Dor, were among the conquered monarchs, whose territories were taken possession of by the Hebrews. But in Judg. i. 27, after the death of Joshua, appears the Israelites had not conquered "Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns;" for the "Canaanites would dwell in that land." a

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In xv. 63, it is said,

"As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day."

In Judg. i. 8, we read,

"Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire."

Here is a contradiction between the two, but they contradict both one another and themselves, in mentioning this same place; for in Josh. xviii. 28, it is said, Jebusi,

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[See, however, Rosenmüller, in loc., and Gesenius, sub voce ]