The Division of the Land

After the conquest of major regions, Joshua was old and well stricken in years, and the Lord commanded him to divide the land that yet remained among the tribes of Israel (Joshua 13:1-7). The text specifies that Moses had already given inheritances to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh on the east side of Jordan, though to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance as the sacrifices of the Lord were their portion (Joshua 13:8-14). The children of Israel assembled at Shiloh to set up the tabernacle of the congregation, where Joshua cast lots for the remaining seven tribes before the Lord (Joshua 18:1-10).

During this process, Caleb the son of Jephunneh approached Joshua in Gilgal to claim the specific mountain territory promised to him by Moses forty-five years earlier (Joshua 14:6-10). Caleb stated he was as strong for war at eighty-five years old as he had been when Moses sent him to spy out the land (Joshua 14:11). Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb for an inheritance because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel, and the land had rest from war (Joshua 14:13-15).

Joshua and Eleazar the priest, along with the heads of the fathers of the tribes, distributed the inheritances by lot (Joshua 19:51). The Levites were granted forty-eight cities with their suburbs out of the inheritances of the other tribes, as the text does not say they received a distinct territorial block (Joshua 21:41). Six cities were also appointed as cities of refuge for those who killed any person unawares, including Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan (Joshua 20:7-8). When the distribution was finished, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun, who received Timnath-serah in mount Ephraim (Joshua 19:49-50).