ESV

Biblical

Jephthah Defeats the Ammonites

Jephthah was called upon by the leaders of Gilead to fight against the Ammonites, who were oppressing the Israelites in Gilead, Ephraim, Benjamin, and Judah. After Jephthah defeated the Ammonites, the men of Ephraim became angry that they had not been called to join the battle, and they gathered to

Biblical

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

Gideon’s small army of 300 men camped by the spring of Harod while the vast Midianite army spread out in the Jezreel Valley by the hill of Moreh. When Gideon’s men encircled and surprised the Midianites during the night, the Midianites fled. Gideon’s men chased them to

Biblical

Deborah and Barak Defeat the Canaanites

When King Jabin of Hazor began to oppress the Israelites, Deborah called upon Barak from Kedesh-naphtali to fight against him. The Israelite forces gathered at Mount Tabor, and Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, marched his men to the Kishon River. The Israelites defeated Sisera’s forces and chased

Biblical

Ehud Defeats the Moabites

During the time of Ehud, King Eglon of Moab expanded his territory and captured the “city of palms,” probably to be understood as Jericho. Ehud and the other Israelite delegates were returning from delivering their tribute to Eglon, but Ehud turned back and killed Eglon at Jericho. Then Ehud escaped

Biblical

The Judges of Israel

c. 1375–1050/1210–1050 b.c. The judges came from various tribes and regions of Israel, and they likely held varying degrees of influence over their neighboring regions and tribes.

Biblical

The Setting of Judges

c. 1375/1210 b.c. The incomplete conquest of the Promised Land set the stage for the book of Judges, which recounts the exploits of various leaders raised up to deliver Israel from their oppressors.

Biblical

The Allotment of the Land

c. 1400 b.c. During the conquest of Canaan, Joshua allotted the land to the tribes of Israel. These boundaries, however, do not necessarily reflect the land each tribe actually inhabited by the end of the conquest. Several tribes, such as Dan, were unable to drive out the Canaanites that

Biblical

Kings Defeated by the Israelites

c. 1390 b.c. The Israelites captured many key cities throughout Canaan, although apparently some of them were later taken back by the Canaanites (e.g., Jerusalem). Under the leadership of Moses, the Israelites captured towns east of the Jordan River, including Ashtaroth and Heshbon. Joshua led the Israelites to

Biblical

The Conquest of Canaan: The Northern Campaign

c. 1400 b.c. After Joshua’s forces defeated several Amorite kings in the south, the king of Hazor assembled the northern Canaanite kings to battle the Israelites. Joshua and his men defeated the Canaanites at the waters of Merom and pursued them to Great Sidon and the Valley of

Biblical

The Conquest of Canaan: The Southern Campaign

c. 1400 b.c. Upon hearing that the Gibeonites signed a peace treaty with the Israelites, five Amorite cities attacked Gibeon. Joshua’s forces came up from Gilgal to defend the Gibeonites, and they chased the Amorites as far as Azekah and Makkedah. Joshua’s forces continued their attack until

Biblical

The Covenant Is Renewed at Mount Ebal

c. 1406/1220 b.c. Joshua fulfilled Moses’ command to renew the covenant at Shechem by placing copies of the covenant on Mount Ebal and directing the Israelite tribes to shout the blessings and curses of the covenant to each other across the valley separating Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim

Biblical

Israel Enters Canaan

c. 1406/1220 b.c. After crossing the Jordan River and entering Canaan, the Israelites set up camp at Gilgal. From there they continued to move westward, first destroying the imposing city of Jericho and then defeating the smaller town of Ai. Later the Gibeonites (also called Hivites) deceived the

Biblical

Preparing to Enter Canaan

c. 1406/1220 b.c.Joshua prepared to enter Canaan by sending two spies from Shittim to scout out the land and the city of Jericho. The spies spent the first night in Jericho at the house of Rahab the prostitute, who hid the men and sent away the soldiers

Biblical

The Setting of Joshua

c. 1406/1220 b.c. The book of Joshua recounts the Israelite conquest of the land of Canaan under the command of Joshua. The book opens at Shittim with Joshua’s commission from the Lord as the leader of the Israelites, progresses through his victories over the Canaanite kings and

Biblical

Renewing the Covenant at Mount Ebal

c. 1406/1220 b.c. Looking ahead to the day when the Israelites would occupy Canaan, Moses commanded the people to renew the covenant after they entered the land by placing a new copy of the terms of the covenant on Mount Ebal and reciting the blessings and curses to

Biblical

Israel Defeats Og and Sihon

Deuteronomy reviews how the Israelites defeated King Sihon when he refused them passage through his land and attacked them at Jahaz. Soon afterward, the Israelites spied out Jazer and captured it. As they headed north from Jazer, the Israelites were attacked by King Og’s forces at Edrei, but they

Biblical

The Setting of Deuteronomy

c. 1406/1220 b.c. The book of Deuteronomy recounts Moses’ words to the Israelites as they waited on the plains of Moab to enter Canaan. Moses begins by reviewing the events of Israel’s journey from Mount Sinai (or Mount Horeb) to the plains of Moab.

Biblical

The Boundaries of the Promised Land

The original boundaries of the Promised Land as defined in Numbers 34 are somewhat different from the boundaries of the land that the Israelites eventually occupied. The original boundaries included the mountainous area north of Sidon and Damascus, but the Israelites never occupied this area during the settlement period. Conversely,

Biblical

Balaam Blesses Israel

Concerned that the vast number of Israelites would overwhelm his land, King Balak of Moab summoned Balaam to come and curse them. Balaam traveled from the region of the Euphrates River, and Balak went out to meet him at a city on the Arnon River at the border of his

Biblical

Israel Defeats Og and Sihon

As with Edom and Moab, the Israelites asked permission to pass through the territory of King Sihon, but he refused. When Sihon attacked the Israelites at Jahaz, the Israelites defeated him and captured his land. Later, Moses dispatched troops to capture Jazer, and then they turned north and were met

Biblical

The Journey to Canaan

After many years of wandering in the wilderness as a consequence of their sin, the Israelites set out from Kadesh-barnea toward the Promised Land. It is difficult to know for certain the exact route they took from Kadesh-barnea to the plains of Moab, but it is possible that they followed

Biblical

The Failed Entry into Canaan

After the Lord had condemned the people for refusing to enter Canaan, a group of Israelites changed their mind and tried to go up, even though neither Moses nor the ark of the covenant went with them. When they reached the hill country, they were beaten back by the Amalekites

Biblical

The Journey of the Spies

When the Israelites first arrived at Kadesh-barnea, Moses dispatched 12 spies to scout out the Promised Land of Canaan. For 40 days the spies traveled throughout Canaan, from the Negeb to Rehob and back again—a distance of over 500 miles (805 km).

Biblical

Journeys in the Wilderness

c. 1446/1260 b.c. The book of Numbers details the Israelites’ experience in the wilderness as they journeyed from Mount Sinai to Canaan. As with the exodus, it is difficult to establish the exact route that the Israelites took, but it is generally believed that they headed east from

Biblical

The Setting of Leviticus

c. 1446/1260 b.c. The book of Exodus finishes with Moses and Israel having constructed and assembled the tabernacle at the base of Mount Sinai. The book of Leviticus primarily records the instructions the Lord gives to Moses from the tent of meeting, but also includes narrative of a