Joshua: Courage, Conquest, and the Original Imposter Syndrome
A discussion about the Book of Joshua
This week on edJEWcation, we crack open the Book of Joshua — swords, spies, shofars, and all — to kick off our brand-new series on the books of the Hebrew Bible beyond the Torah.
Jay, ChayaLeah, and the Rabbi break down how Joshua, Moses’ humble sidekick-turned-general, led the Israelites into the land of Israel with nothing but faith, grit, and some serious divine backup. From the walls of Jericho crumbling to the sun standing still mid-battle, Joshua’s story isn’t just ancient history — it’s a masterclass in courage, community, and the art of not messing up the inheritance paperwork.
We dig into:
⚔️ Why Joshua’s real superpower wasn’t military genius — it was courage (and trust in God)
📜 What Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute-turned-heroine, teaches us about redemption and surprises
🌅 The day the sun stood still — and why God actually listened
🏘️ How dividing up the land of Israel turned into the Bible’s version of a family estate drama
✡️ Why the message of Joshua feels surprisingly current — especially in moments of Jewish vulnerability today
Join us for a lively conversation on faith, leadership, and the messy, miraculous business of building a nation. And yes, we even squeeze in a beeper-Mossad reference, because why not?
In 15th century Florence, the Operai del Duomo commissioned 12 colossal statues. The most famous of these is Michelangelo's "David", but the first of these was of Joshua, sculpted by Donatello. Later, the sculpture was revised to depict St. John the Baptist.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bernardo_Ciuffagni,_Donatello_and_Nanni_di_Bartolo,_(Joshua,_1415-16),_St_John_the_Baptist,_1420-21,_Museo_dell%27Opera_del_Duomo,_Florence.jpg