Sheffield Old Testament Guides: Joshua

The book of Joshua bridges the gap between the Pentateuch and the story of Israel in the Promised Land. It recounts the familiar traditions of the conquest of Canaan, and details the portions of territory allotted to the tribes. Does the book of Joshua relate to neighboring books in the canon? To what extent does it contain theology—such as the preceding books—and to what extent does Joshua contain history and geography—such as the books that follow? How should it be understood in the light of archaeological discoveries, or recent studies of the emergence of Israel? How might it read as piece of literature? This study guide offers an introduction to the contents of Joshua and a survey of the scholarly views about its nature and purpose. Curtis states that the key to understanding Joshua should be sought not so much in the field of history as of theology.