THE CONTRADICTORY BOOK OF JOSHUA

Contradictory history on the pages of the Bible

The book of Joshua in the Bible presents several internally inconsistent scenarios which describe the entry of Israel into Canaan, and it also conflicts with Judges and other books of the Bible. The example of the books of Joshua and Judges can be used to illustrate that multiple versions of events are given in the Bible. Any interested readercould compare the account contained in the book of Joshua with that related inthe book of Judges. This sort of 'research' is not hard to do. Take aconcordance (a type of dictionary of the Bible listing the passages where agiven word occurs). Look up each word and compare passages.

     The book of Joshua portrays the conquest of Canaan as a single event thattook place in one campaign divided into a number of stages. The end result wasthat the inhabitants of the land were all slaughtered.

"He left not a single survivor" (Joshua 11:8) and, "the land was now at peace," (Joshua 14:15) for, "the country now lay subdued at their feet." (Joshua 18:1)

A survey team was thensent out and reported back to Joshua who then decided how to divide up the land. Lots were then cast for each portion by representatives of the tribes. (It turns out that the lot casting is the major problem with the book as it presupposes a unitary conquest, victory, peace, and possession of the land, as described above.) The bookconcludes with a great meeting a Shechem, which functions as a summaryconclusion to everything that took place and a call to follow God faithfully,just as God faithfully fulfilled a promise to hand over the Canaanite lands tothe people (the references to fulfilled prophecy in the book come in large partfrom the book of Deuteronomy). Joshua died and was buried.

      If you were to continue to read on into the book of Judges the first thing you would notice is that a break in the continuity of the narrative takes place. The first line of Judges reads:

"After the death of Joshuathe Israelites enquired of YAHWEH, 'which tribe should be the first to attackthe Canaanites?'" (Judges 1:1)

     Notice the language used ('first to attack the Canaanites'). The premise here is that no war of conquest took place in Joshua's time, and theIsraelites then proceed to a series of battles, all of which the book of Joshuarelates as taking place in his lifetime.

      Now here is a really interesting example of a compounding series of contradictions. The book of Joshua tells us that he conquered Jerusalem (Joshua 12:10). The land was

"assigned to the Israelites." (Joshua 12:7)

The bookcontains internal inconsistencies for we are also told that,

"the men of Judah failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem." (Joshua 15:63)

The passage is repeated again in (Judges 1:21) , with the difference that this time itis the Benjamites who failed in the conquest. You can compare this with theaccount in the 11th chapter of Joshua , where we are told that Jebusites wereamong a listing of other peoples whom Joshua,

"cut down until they had not asingle survivor." (Joshua 11:8) "Their cities were destroyed," (Joshua 11:12)

and the peopleliving there were

"put to the sword, destroying them all".

The Israelites then

"plundered the cities," (Joshua 11:14)

leaving alive only the animals, but

"everyliving soul they put to the sword until they had destroyed everyone. They didnot leave anyone alive." (Joshua 11:14) "Jericho fought against you, as did theJebusites, but I delivered them into your hands. I drove them out before you." (Joshua 24:11)

      With the Israelites firmly in control of Jerusalem and the Jebusites wiped out, centuries later David could freely take

"Goliath's head to Jerusalem." (1 Samuel 17:54)

The only problem with this scenario is that it turns out that thegreat Israeli hero who had the honor of conquering Jerusalem and the Jebusiteswas David himself, after he had grown up and become King.

"David went toJerusalem to attack the Jebusites." (2 Samuel 5:6)

Now, depending on whichversion of events you (arbitrarily?) declare to be 'historical' either Joshuahad already wiped out those Jebusites,

'leaving no one alive' (Joshua 11:14)

or,immediately after his death,

"the men of Judah made an assault on Jerusalem andcaptured it; they put its people (the Jebusites) to the sword, and set fire tothe city." (Judges 1:8)

Or, then again,

"the men of Judah failed to drive outthe Jebusites living in Jerusalem." (Joshua 15:63)

Or, then again, maybe theBenjamites attacked and failed. (Judges 1:21)

"The children of Israel dweltamong the Jebusites." (Judges 3:5)

      In David's day, the Jebusites, were apparently alive and well enough to mock him, saying,

"you'll never get in here! Even the blind and the lame could keepyou out!" (2 Samuel 5:6)

David did take the city, by sneaking under the wallsvia the water conduit to the center of town. The only problem with thisscenario is that it was King Hezekiah who constructed the water conduit,centuries after David's death. (2 Kings 20:20) I just bring all this to yourattention to point out the mind numbing complications, the compoundingcontradictions that begin to develop once you start pulling on some of theseBiblical threads by looking up a word in a concordance. It is not a matter ofpulling out a loose thread here or there, rather the whole garment unravels.

      The bizarre 'editorial work' needs explanation. This certainly isn't 'history' but something else altogether, an important fact to keep in mind. In the caseof Jerusalem let us just say that multiple traditions existed and who would notwant to claim that it was their particular hero who took the city, even if itinvolved spinning some fanciful tall tales?

      Also of interest are the compounding contradictions that surface if one looks up a word, like, say, "Ammonite," or, "Moabite." In the book of Joshua weread that,

"Moses allotted to the Gadites half of the country of the Ammonitesas far as Aroer, which is east of Rabbah." (Joshua 13:24) "Moses allotted to thetribe of Mannessah as their holding the lowlands of Moab east of the Jordan." (Joshua 13:31)

We find that after all this assignment of territory, that thebattles were finished, and,

"the land was now a peace." (Joshua 14:15)

In thebook of Deuteronomy, we find that Moses said,

"when you reach the territory ofthe Ammonites you must not harass them or provoke them to battle for I will notgive you any Ammonite land as a possession." (Deuteronomy 2:19) "You avoided theterritory of the Ammonites, thus fulfilling all that YAHWEH God hadcommanded." (Deuteronomy 2:37) "Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession." (Deuteronomy 2:9)

So either Moses parceled out the territory of theAmmonites and Moabites or he did not.

      Continue pulling on this thread and other books startto unravel as well. In the 11th Chapter of Judges, Jephthah quarreled overland with the Ammonites. The Ammonites said,

"when the Israelites came up outof Egypt, they seized our land all the way from Arnon to the Jabbok and theJordan. Now return these lands peacefully." (Judges 11:13)

Jephthah replied,

"Israel took neither Moabite or Ammonite land. They sent envoys to the King ofEdom asking him to grant them passage through his country but he would notconsent. The king of Moab would also not agree, so Israel journeyed through thewilderness and skirted the territories of Edom and Moab." (Judges 11:15)

Yankon this thread and another rip appears in another book. Moses is portrayed asspeaking in Deuteronomy, and directly contradicts Jephthah.

"Edom granted uspassage, and so did the Moabites in Ar." (Deuteronomy 2:29)

As well the Book of Joshuatells us that Moses assigned both the land of the Ammonites and the Moabites tothe tribes, and that this land was parceled out by Joshua after the conquestwas complete. Jephthah then concludes,

"for three hundred years we have beenliving in Heshbon, Aroer, and Arnon. Why did you not retake them in all thattime?" (Judges 11:26)

This seems to be a retroactive admission that Israel didin fact take Ammonite land, as described in Joshua. Jephthah then attacked theAmmonites, making

'a great slaughter'. "Thus Ammon was conquered by Israel." (Judges 11:32)

(As YAHWEH had commanded Moses, and Joshua fulfilled, nodoubt, or then again, as Deuteronomy insists, maybe not.)

      If we continue with account of what took place after Joshua died, as it is given in Judges, we find that after taking Jerusalem, Judah conquered the Negeb,the Shephelah, Hebron, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, and Debir. Of course, itturns out that the Negev, the Shephalah, Hebron, and Debir were all attacked byJoshua during his lifetime. (Joshua 10:36-40) In Hebron,

"he left no survivor,destroying every living thing in it." (Joshua 10:37)

An identical passage is used todescribe the fate of Debir at Joshua's hand. (Joshua 10:39) As for the Negeb and theShephalah, Joshua,

"left no survivor. destroying everything that drew breath, asYAHWEH the God of Israel had commanded." (Joshua 10:40)

That all these places andpeople indeed survive to battle Judah after Joshua's death is surely the firstexample of so many others in the Bible of a mass raising from the dead.

      Now as for Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, it turns out that Caleb accomplished this feat (Joshua 15:13) and in another of the internalinconsistencies in the book of Joshua it turns out that it was also Caleb whoconquered Debir. (Joshua 15:15)

      The pattern continues to the end of the book of Joshua. In Judges we are told that after Joshua's death, Judah attacked Zephath (formerly called Hormah).(Judges 1:17 -compare Joshua 12:14 ) They then took Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron. (Judges 1:18) According to (Joshua 10:40) , Joshua took Gaza, killing their Kingat the same time as the countries mentioned in the previous paragraph, in asingle sweeping campaign culminating in complete military victory, and, at therisk of becoming redundant, I point out that,

"he left not a single survivor,destroying everything that drew breath." (Joshua 10:40)

Here we have another of thoseinteresting internal inconsistencies in the book of Joshua. In chapter 13 ofthe book, Joshua had become 'a very old man' and yet,

"much of the countryremains to be occupied." (Joshua 13:1)

Among these areas are, wouldn't you just knowit, "Gaza and Ekron." (Joshua 13:3) In Judges we are told that Joseph attacked Bethel( (Judges 1:22) - compare Joshua 12:16 where once again Joshua gets the credit.

      Mannessah, the book of Judges states, failed in their conquest of Taanach ( Judges 1:27 - Joshua 17:11, they failed; Joshua 12:21, Joshua succeeded in takingTaanach); Dor (Joshua 12:23, Joshua took Dor); Ibleam (Joshua 12:23, he took theplace; Joshua 17:11, they failed); and Megiddo (ditto). So in these cases thefamiliar conflict is found between the Judges and Joshua account, and the Joshuaaccount is also internally inconsistent. Ephraim failed to take Gezer (Judges 1:29-compare Joshua 12:10 and Joshua 10:33. Joshua took the place leaving 'nosurvivors. He killed every living thing.' Then again, maybe not, for (Joshua 16:10) they failed to take the place.) Naphtali failed to take Beth-shemesh (Judges 1:33) or then again compare Joshua 19:22 and 19:38. The Amorites forcedthe Danites into the hill country, and would not allow them to come down ontothe fertile plains. (Judges 1:34) This must be another example of amass raising from the dead. You see the Amoriteswere beaten by Joshua in another grand, sweeping campaign (chapter 10), and asit states in chapter 11, the Amorites were destroyed, and so were their citiesand the people there. They were,

"put to the sword, destroying them all." (Joshua 11:12)

All their cities were 'plundered'. (Joshua 11:14)

"They destroyed everyone. They did not leave anyone alive." (Joshua 11:14) "Joshua conquered the Hittites, theAmorites, the Canaanites, the Perrizites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites." (Joshua 12:7) "Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, the Perrizites, theCanaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, but Idelivered them into your hands. They were driven out from before you." (Joshua 24:11)

Or, maybe not, for

"they did not drive out the Jebusites." (Judges 1:21) "Thechildren of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, thePerrizites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites." (Judges 3:5)

      The Kingdom described in Joshua corresponds closely to that of the united Kingdom under Solomon. In the book of Judges the scenario is different. Thereis no singular and triumphant campaign of military conquest. The Israelitesare confined to the less inhabited (and easily conquered) unfertile mountainranges, with the Canaanites maintaining a firm grip on the fertile plains,

"because they had iron chariots." (Judges 1:19)

Thus we are presented with a different picture of God, a god who is easily foiled in conquest and war by those iron chariots. Conquest of the land issomething that is going to take centuries to accomplish, with the justificationgiven for this state of affairs, that God was testing the people by leaving theCanaanites in possession of the land.

"The purpose of the test was to seewhether or not the Israelites would obey God's commandments."
(Judges 3:4)

Thusthe Israelites were confined to the mountain ranges while the fertile plains aredescribed as remaining in the hands of all those people Joshua had supposedlywiped out, 'leaving not a single survivor'. Included on the list of 'survivors' are,

"the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and (of course) the Jebusites." (Judges 3:5)

Even more problem surface when we consider the prophecy credited to Joshua.

"The sons of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the valley land have chariots of iron."" (Joshua 17:16)

Joshua replied,

"you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron and though they are strong." (Joshua 17:18)

In the book of Judges we are told that they could not defeat those iron chariots, and indeed, as you read along into the fourth chapter you find that the Israelites were being cruelly oppressed for decades by an enemy who were are told had 900 iron chariots. As has been demonstrated the book of Joshua is itself contradictory and it certainly conflicts with the book of Judges in this case. In Deuteronomy a regulation states that if a prophet makes a prophecy that does not come true, the person who spoke was obviously not a prophet. 'Do not be afraid of him.' So in this case we have the book of Joshua, the book of massacres and genocide, whose lead character was by the standards of Deuteronomy, a false prophet.

      There is also another excuse given for why the people could not conquer the land.

"'I will not drive out one individual of all those nations Joshua leftalive at his death. Through them I will test Israel, to see whether or not theykeep strictly to the way of God.' So God made no haste to drive themout or give them into Joshua's hands."

(Hmmmm. Imagine that, hey?)

"As a meansof testing all the Israelites who had not taken part in any battles for Canaan,God left all these nations. God's purpose was to train future generations ofIsraelites in the art of warfare, that is all those who had not learnt it before." (Judges 2:21)

That was darned thoughtful of God, you must agree. How justlike God, right? Always thinking ahead.

      However, God, it would seem, had second thoughts. A few chapters ahead we find that God told Gideon that there would be no training of future generationsof Israelites in the art of war, because,

"Israel might claim the glory forthemselves and say that their own strength has given them the victory."
(Judges 7:2) "Send the army home." (Judges 7:7)

It should be obvious that what you arereading here is not 'history', but rather a sort of 'theology'. The statement,"God's purpose was train them for war," is a theological statement. One cannotbring oneself to say, "the god of the Canaanites is winning more wars than ourgod." In those days one measured the strength of 'gods' in contests of militarycombat, with the symbolism driven home when the victorious party would take theimages of 'the gods' of the losing party into captivity, often setting them upin subordinate positions in their own temples. Seen in this light the book ofJoshua can be seen for what it really is-a political and religious document,dressed up as history.

Where are the Native American nations today. The answer is that they are buried under corn fields and in any other location where corpses can be disposed of inmass graves. This genocidal massacre was admired by Hitler who modeled the Waffen SS after the Texas Rangers, and whose mission also became the genocidaldispossession of conquered lands. In order to understand this period in American history it is also important to understand American religion and the American holybook the Bible, and for that reason I thought I would present this collection of verses so as to educate those who might not be fully aware of just what it was that ourancestors had been venerating and worshipping for all those centuries.

Nehemiah 13:1 ""As soon as they heard the law of the lord they expelled all people offoreign descent."

"When the lord your godhas led you into the land you are entering to make your own, nations will fall before you. You mustlay them under solemn ban and show them no pity." "The lord your god has given you this land asyour own. All your fighting men must take up arms and march." Deut. 3:18 "You must drive all thenatives of the land before you. If you do not drive the natives of the country before you then thosewho remain will become disgusting to your eyes and a thorn in your side. They will harass you in theland where you live, and I will deal with you as I meant to deal with them." Num. 33:51 "Devour thenations the lord your god delivers over to you. Show them no pity." Deut. 7:16 But you are apeople most holy to your god, so, "Do not clip your hair at the temple or trim your beard," (Lev.19:27) and, "no tatoos." Lev. 19:28

"The people have not broken with the natives. The holy race has been minglingwith the natives of the country. In this act of treachery the chief men and the officials have beenleading the way. My god, I am ashamed." Ezra 9:1

"The land you are invading is foul because of the filthinessof the natives. Their land is filled with filth from end to end because of the foulness of the natives. So you must not marry them or be concerned with their prosperity, so that yourselves may growstrong and eat the best of what the country produces yourself, and leave it as an inheritance to yoursons forever.'" Ezra 9:10

"You must not marry them or give a daughter or son of yours tothem in marriage, for the anger of the lord your god would then blaze out against you, and quicklydestroy you. It is you the lord your god has chosen to be his very own people out of all these otherpeoples of the earth." Deut. 6 "Are we to marry the natives? Would you not be provoked intodestroying us so that none survived? This is our sin. None can survive in your presence." Ezra 9:13

"You must keep all the commandments I give you sothat you will have the strength to conquer the land you are to enter and make your own." Deut. 11:8 "Annihilate the nations you are dispossessing and make your home in their country." Deut. 12:29 "Put the inhabitants to the slaughter without giving any quarter and burn their town down. In thisway the lord might turn from his fierce anger and show you compassion." Deut. 13:15 But keep inmind that, "you are sons of god, so be sure not to become unclean by eating any detestable animals,such as the pig or the unclean ruminating hare. You are to be a people most holy to the lord yourgod." Deut. 14:3 "Be firm and steadfast so that you may take possession of the land. Above all take care toobserve the entire law which my servant Moses enjoined on you. Do not swerve from it either to theleft or the right, so that you may succeed in all that you do. Keep this book of the law on your lips. Recite it by day and by night, that you may carefully observe all that is written in it. Then you willsuccessfully attain your goal. I command you; be firm and steadfast." Joshua 1:6 And you are holypeople. Remember, "When a woman menstruates she will be unclean for seven days. Anyone whotouches any furniture she sits on will be unclean. If a man dares to have sex with her he will also beunclean for seven days. She must wait seven days after she is freed from her affliction and offer twoturtle doves to the priest as atonement before the lord for her unclean flow. Warn the people of theiruncleanness lest it be the cause of their death." Lev. 15:28 And, "set apart the clean from the uncleananimals so you will not be contaminated by the uncleaness of the swarming creatures." Lev. 20:25

"We have betrayed our god by marrying the natives. But in spite of this their is still hope. Let us actin accordance to the law. Up! Take courage! To work!" Ezra 10:2 "We have acted very wickedlytowards god. We have not kept the commandments and customs laid down by Moses. I beg you,let your servant be successful this day." Neh. 1:7 "You have committed treason by marrying nativewomen. Give thanks to god and do his will by seperating away from the natives. 'Yes, it is our dutyto do what you say, until we have turned away god's wrath which has been kindled against us.'" Ezra10:10 We say, "god, you gave over these nations and these peoples and allotted these as our regions. They occupied the land. You multiplied their sons and daughters and led them to the land you hadtold them to possess. Their sons invaded and conquered the land and humbled the natives when yougave into their hands the natives of the land to be treated just as they pleased. They captured theirtowns and the fertile countryside, took possession of their goods, cisterns already dug, vineyards andolive groves and fruit trees in profusion. They ate; ate their fill and regaled themselves. But theyhave been disobedient and thrust your law behind their back. They were obstinate. They would notobey. Your prophets admonished them, but they would not listen. They would not renounce theirwickedness. They have not kept your law. They have been ignoring your warnings. Because of oursins the leaders of the natives are now disposing of our riches, such is the disaster we endure." Neh.9

"The lord your god has brought you into the land he swore hewould give you, with cities not of your building, houses full of good things not furnished by you,wells you did not dig, vineyards you did not plant." Deut. 6:10

"the lord your god will do the same to all the nations through which you pass. The lord your godhimself is fighting for you." Deut. 3:32 "Fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion." Gen. 1:28 "If you are besieging a place do not cut down the trees but eat the fruit. (Yes, be sure to eat the fruitof that fruit tree!) Are the trees human that you should be beseiging them too? However if a treeis not a fruit tree you may mutilate it and hack it down." Deut. 21:19 "Put the men to the sword, butthe women and all the spoil you may take as booty. This is how you are to deal with far away lands. But in the lands that nearby you must not spare a living soul." Deut. 20:10

Have I not warned you, as the prophets said? Were not the words of those prophetstrue? Now the land has become foul because of the filthiness of the natives. It is filled with filth fromend to end because of the foulness of the natives.

"If a man hassex with a slave girl he is not to be punished. She is a slave." Lev. 19:20 But, "when a man and awoman have sex, they will be unclean until evening." Lev. 15:18 "When you go to war against yourenemies and you see a beautiful woman and find her desirable, you may take her. If she ceases toplease you send her away." Deut. 21:10 "They waged war as god had commanded them and killedevery male. But they kept the women as captives and took their wealth as spoil. Moses was enraged. 'So you spared the women? Kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse but keep the virginsfor yourself. Divide them up evenly.'" Num. 31:7, 14 And remember, "if anyone sleeps with amenstruating woman, they must both be cut off from the people." Lev. 18:19

"I saw that the people were marrying foreigners. Their childrenwere even learning foreign languages. I called down curses on them. I struck them and tore the hairout of their heads and made them swear by god, 'you will not marry foreigners. Foreign women area cause of sin. Must we hear that you, too, are committing this grave crime, playing a traitor to godand marrying foreign women?' I expelled them from my presence. Remember them, oh god, for thedegradation they brought upon the priesthood, the covenant, and the levites." Neh. 13:23 "So Ipurged them of everything foreign. I drew up regulations defining everyone's duty. Remember me,oh god, for my happiness." Neh. 13:30

Yes the land is foul because of the filthiness of the natives. The land is filled with filth from end to end because of the foulness of the natives...

Yes, the land has become foul because of the filthiness of the natives. It is filled with filthfrom end to end because of the foulness of the natives. They have become disgusting in our sight anda thorn in our side. Because of our sin against god the leaders of the natives are now disposing ofour wealth. The land is even fouler because of the filthiness of the foreigners. It is foul and filthyfrom end to end because of the foulness of the foreigners.

"Keep your word tomarch as the lord's vanguard, until the land is subdued before him. This region shall be yours!" Num.32:20 "Drive out all the natives before you. You shall take possession of the land and settle it, forI, the Lord, have given it to you as your property. Divide it up among your clans." Num. 33:52 "Undertake under oath and curse to walk according to the law of god and observe all thecommandments of the lord our god, his customs and his laws. In particular we will not give our sonsand daughters to the natives of the land. If the natives come to buy and sell we will buy nothing fromthem." Neh. 10:29 "Slaves you may possess, but make sure they are foreigners. You may also makeslaves of the natives who dwell among you and from their children who are born and reared in yourland. You may own them as chattels and leave them to your sons as their heriditary property, makingthem slaves forever. But you should not lord it over your own countryman, your own kinsmen." Lev. 25:44 And keep in mind, as the wisdom proverbs teach, that, "mere words will not keep a slavein order. He may understand, but he will not respond. Pamper a slave and he will be ungrateful. Awhip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of a fool. Folly is rooted deep intothe hearts of children. A good beating will drive it out of them. Do not withhold discipline from achild. Do not be a partner in their eternal damnation." Remember, "When a man beats a slave sohard that he dies in a day or two, he shall not be punished, for the slave is his property." Ex. 21:20 As the wisdom proverbs teach us, "Better to be a nobody, and yet have a slave, then to play thegrandee on an empty stomach. Under three things the earth shakes, four things it cannot bear: aslave becoming king, a fool gorging himself, a hateful woman dressing for a wedding, and a slaveoverthrowing his master."

"Take the blasphemer outside the camp and stone him. Carry outthe commandment that the lord your god has given you." Lev. 24:23 Make sure that the priest is amale. As the wisdom proverbs teach, "wonderful is the birth of a boy but cursed is the birth of a girl. I have seen one man in a thousand who is wise, but never a wise woman." And that one man in athousand will be found in the pulpit. "Honor as sacred the priest who offers up the food of your god,treat him as sacred, because, I, your god, am sacred." Lev. 21:7 "If a man has no next of kin, thegoods shall fall to the priest." Num 5:8 "Every sacred contribution that the people are obligated tomake shall fall to the priest." Num. 5:9 "Accept their offerings. Assign them to the levites." Num7:4 "I give you the priesthood as a gift. Any layman who approaches shall be put to death. The lordsaid to the priests, 'I myself have given you charge of the contributions and sacred offerings forever. Every male among you may partake of them. I have also assigned to you the best of the new oil andof the new wine. The breast and the right leg are yours. They are yours forever by unbreakablecovenant, to last forever. To the levites I assign all the tithes. Only the levites may perform theservice forever." Num 18:8 And the lord your god is holy, so, "no crippled or blind person, or anyhunchbacked dwarf shall approach the altar to serve as a priest. This would be an abomination to thelord." Lev. 21:18

"When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go free as male slaves do, unless she provesdispleasing to her master." Ex. 21:7 "If a husband is overcome with a fit of jealousy which makes him suspecthis wife, whether she is guilty or not, then he must bring her to the priest. The priest will prepare thewaters of trial by ordeal and force the woman to drink it, saying, 'let this ordeal water enter yourbody.' If her stomach swells painfully, she is guilty. Her name will become a curse among all her kin. Such is the law, for women owe obedience to their husbands." Num 5:11 "If a man rapes a girl inthe city, you must stone him to death, and the woman as well, for she did not cry for help. Ridyourself of this wickedness." Deut. 22:24 "When a woman gives birth to a boy she shall be unclean for seven days, but if she gives birthto a girl she shall be unclean for fourteen days, with the same uncleanness as with her menstruatingperiod. She shall spend 33 more days becoming purified of her blood, for a boy, and for a girl 66days. She shall not enter the sanctuary or touch anything sacred. After she has been purified shemust offer a turtledove as a sin offering for her unclean blood." Lev. 12:1

"If, "you keep all the laws of your god, you will be his very own people,and praise and renown and honor will set you high above all the nations." Deut. 26:17 "Observegod's royal law carefully and you will display your wisdom and understanding to other peoples. When they come to hear of these laws they will exclaim, 'no other people is as wise and prudent asthis great nation.'" Deut. 4:6

Numbers 21:2 "And Israel vowed a vow to the LORD, and said, "If thou wilt indeed give this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities." And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel, and gave over the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities."

Numbers 33:52 "Then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you ... and you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have giventhe land to you to possess it. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as pricks in your eyes and thorns in yoursides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. And I will do to you as I thought to do to them."

Deuteronomy 2:1 "When the LORD your God brings you into the land which you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you ...and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them; then you must completely destroy them; you shall make no peace treaties with them,and show no mercy to them. You shall not make marriages with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons.For you are a people holy to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, out of all the peoples that are on theface of the earth."

Deuteronomy 7:16 "And you shall destroy all the peoples that the LORD your God will give over to you, you will who them no pity ... If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?’ you shall not be afraid of them ... until those who are left and hidethemselves from you are destroyed. You shall not be in dread of them; for the LORD your God is in the midst of you, a great and terrible God. The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you may not make an end of them at once"

Deuteronomy 9:3 "Know therefore this day that he who goes over before you as a devouring fire is the LORD your God; he will destroy them and subdue thembefore you; so you shall drive them out, and make them perish quickly, as the LORD has promised you."

Deuteronomy 20:15 "In the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall utterly destroy them."

Deuteronomy 31:3 "The LORD your God himself will go over before you; he will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall take their land .. And the LORD will destroy them. And the LORD will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you."

Deuteronomy 33:27 "Destroy. So Israel dwelt in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone, in a land of grain and wine; yea, his heavens drop down dew.29 Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you? ... Your enemies shall come fawning to you; and you shall tread upon their heads."

Joshua 9:24 "The LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from beforeyou."

Judges 21:11 "This is what you shall do; every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall utterly destroy." And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp atShiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.""Kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse with a man and kill every male among the little ones, but keep the virgins for yourselves ... divide them upevenly."

1 Samuel 15:3 "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox andsheep, camel and ass.’"

1 Samuel 15:18 "And the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they areconsumed.’"

Joshua 8:24 "When Israel had finished slaughtering all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them and all of them to the very last had fallenby the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword."

Joshua 10:20 "Joshua and the men of Israel had finished slaying them with a very great slaughter, until they were wiped out."

Judges 11:33 "And he smote them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abelkeramim, with a very great slaughter. So theAmmonites were subdued before the people of Israel."

Judges 15:8 "And he smote them hip and thigh with great slaughter."

1 Samuel 17:57 "And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in hishand."

1 Samuel 19:8 "And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and made a great slaughter among them, so that they fled beforehim."

1 Samuel 23:5 "And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and made a great slaughter among them."

2 Samuel 1:1 "David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites."

Esther 9:5 "So the Jews smote all their enemies with the sword, slaughtering, and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them."