How did Joshua and Caleb propose the conquest of Canaan?
The Book of Numbers tells how Moses sent spies into the land of
Canaan to report back on the strengths of the people and their
defences. This is told in the"Spies Narrative" in Numbers chapters
13 and 14. However, there are actually two different spies
narratives, so cleverly conflated as to appear to the casual reader
to be a single, if rather complex, narrative.
One account is told from the perspective of the southern Hebrew
kingdom of Judah, for whom Caleb was their great military hero. In
this account (Numbers 13:17b-20,22-25,27-31, 14:1b,4), Moses
dispatched the spies, but the spies travelled only as far north as
Hebron (in the future kingdom of Judah). The spies returned and
issued their report to one person (Moses), stating that the land
was 'flowing with milk and honey', but that the inhabitants were
giants and and their cities fortified. Caleb alone tried to
encourage the Israelites to proceed with the conquest. The spies
countered Caleb's claim, stating that the land was unconquerable.
The people refused to enter Canaan and plotted to elect a new
captain to lead them back to Egypt. The conquest of Canaan was
eventually accomplished under the leadership of Caleb in Judges
chapter 1.
The other account was developed much later, by the Priestly
Source, and seeks to support a continued claim to the long-lost
territory that had once been the northern kingdom of Israel. It
makes the legendary northern military leader, Joshua, the leader of
the spies and the conqueror who would totally destroy the cities of
Canaan, in the Book of Joshua. At God's command, Moses appointed
twelve heads of tribes to scout the land, and dispached them from
the Wilderness of Paran. The spies toured the entire Promised Land,
'from the Wilderness of Zin to the entrance to Hamath'. The spies
returned and displayed the land's fruit. They issued their report
to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation, stating that
Canaan was not only unconquerable, but a 'land that devours its
inhabitants'. Caleb and Joshua tried to encourage the Israelites to
proceed with the conquest. The Israelites responded by calling for
them to be stoned. (Numbers 13:1-17a,21,25-26,32-33,
14:1a,2-3,6-10a)
Neither account provides a detailed explanation of how Caleb or
Joshua intended to overcome the difficulties they knew they would
face. This is confirmed by the Israelites refusing to enter Canaan
and, in one case wanting to be led back to Egypt, and in the other
case threatening to stone Joshua and Caleb.