What does Joshua chapter 8 mean?

Answer 1

Joshua chapter 8 describes the biblical conquest of the Canaanite city of Ai. If only it were historically true, then Joshua proved himself to be a superb commander, while the king of Ai proved to be a gullible fool who withdrew all his forces from the city to chase an apparently inferior force, but then fell back before them when he realised his city was in flames. On the command of his God, Joshua committed absolute genocide in the defeated city, leaving not even defenceless women alive. He then made a copy of the Ten Commandments, from the original in the Ark, and read them to the congregation.

History must be different, as archaeologists say that there was no city at Ai in the late Bronze Age, when the Israelites are supposed to have conquered it. This means that the Israelites of a much later age wished for a glorious past, when they proved their natural superiority over their enemies and rapidly conquered all their great cities. The conquests of Joshua entered Hebrew lore and were recorded as if they were historically true.