The Divided Kingdom

「And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.」

「And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.」

「And out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its suburbs, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Hammoth-dor with its suburbs, and Kartan with its suburbs; three cities.」

「and it passed along to Azmon, and went out at the brook of Egypt; and the goings out of the border were at the sea: this shall be your south border.」

「And Joshua made him knives of flint, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.」

「while the seven priests bearing the seven ram’s horns marched in front of the Ark of GOD, blowing the horns as they marched. The vanguard marched in front of them, and the rear guard marched behind the Ark of GOD, with the horns sounding all the time.」

Capital of the northern Canaanite coalition and formerly the head of all those kingdoms; its destruction marks the collapse of Canaan's strongest alliance.

Were there already seeds of division among the tribes in Joshua's time?

From Joshua's farewell charge, look back at tensions within the tribal confederation.

Before the kingdom split, what seeds of division were already sown in the Joshua era?

Joshua's closing record of unconquered lands and intermingled peoples foreshadowed the coming split.

Before the kingdom split, what seeds of division were already sown in the Joshua era?

Joshua's closing record of unconquered lands and intermingled peoples foreshadowed the coming split.

How did Joshua's allotment of the twelve tribes foreshadow the later division of the kingdom?

Tribal tensions in Joshua—geographic and identity fissures that foreshadowed future division.

Were there already seeds of north-south division in the Joshua period?

Tracing tribal tensions back to the book of Joshua.

How did Joshua's allotment of the twelve tribes foreshadow the later division of the kingdom?

Tribal tensions in Joshua—geographic and identity fissures that foreshadowed future division.