The early history of the first Jewish conqueror (1) in some respects is
like the early history of the first Jewish legislator. Moses was
rescued from a watery grave, and raised at the court of Egypt. Joshua,
in infancy, was swallowed by a whale, and , wonderful to relate, did
not perish. At a distant point of the sea-coast the monster spewed him
forth unharmed. He was found by compassionate passers-by, and grew up
ignorant of his descent. The government appointed him to the office of
hangman. As luck would have it, he had to execute his own father. By
the law of the land the wife of the dead man fell to the share of his
executioner, and Joshua was on the point of adding to parricide another
crime equally heinous. He was saved by a miraculous sign. When he
approached his mother, milk flowed from her breasts. His suspicions
were aroused, and through the inquiries he set a foot regarding his
origin, the truth was made manifest. (2)
Later Joshua, who was so ignorant that he was called a fool, became the
minister of Moses, and God rewarded his faithful service by making him
the successor to Moses. (3) He was designated as such to Moses when, at
the bidding of his master, he was carrying on war with the Amalekites.
(4) In this campaign God's care of Joshua was plainly seen. Joshua had
condemned a portion of the Amalekites to death by lot, and the heavenly
sword picked them out for extermination. (5) Yet there was as great a
difference between Moses and Joshua as between the sun and the moon.
(6) God did not withdraw His help from Joshua, but He was by no means
so close to him as to Moses. This appeared immediately after Moses had
passed away. At the moment when the Israelitish leader was setting out
on his journey to the great beyond, he summoned his successor and bade
him put questions upon all points about which he felt uncertain.
Conscious of his own industry and devotion, Joshua replied that he had
no questions to ask, seeing that he had carefully studied the teachings
of Moses. Straightway he forgot three hundred Halakot, and doubts
assailed him concerning seven hundred others. The people threatened
Joshua's life, because he was not able to resolve their difficulties in
the law. It was vain to turn to God, for the Torah once revealed was
subject to human, not to heavenly, authority. (7) Directly after Moses'
death, God commanded Joshua to go to war, so that the people might
forget its grievance against him. (8) But it is false to think that the
great conqueror was nothing more than a military hero. When God
appeared to him, to give him instructions concerning the war, He found
him with the Book of Deuteronomy in his hand, whereupon God called to
him: "Be strong and of good courage; the book of the law shall not
depart out of thy mouth." (9)