Together in the Land A Reading of the Book of Joshua

The book of Joshua is well known for its tales of slaughter and destruction. This reading shows that ambiguity created by means of juxtaposing contrasting ideas is a feature of the compositional arrangement in Joshua. While there may be a dream land emptied of foreigners awaiting Israelite occupation, there is also a grudging acceptance of co-existence in the land with a certain class of foreigner represented by the exceptional outsiders such as Rahab and Gibeonites. Mitchell's conclusion is that such ways of dealing with reality were a feature of the disillusionment and hope of post-exilic Judaism.