Joshua: The Challenge of the Promised Land

by Michael Hattin

The Book of Joshua enumerates the great challenges faced by the ancient Israelites as they enter and settle their promised land, a lengthy process that ultimately takes hundreds of years. Exhausted from their forty-year journey in the desert, the people must overcome earlier failures, confront hostile coalitions on the battlefield, struggle with the inimical cultural values pervasive in Canaan, and make the difficult transition from a nomadic to a settled way of life. Difficult as this may sound, there is yet one burning issue that overshadows the whole What are the hallmarks of successful leadership? In The Challenge of the Promised Land, Michael Hattin brings to life the biblical Book of Joshua, highlighting how the many complex issues faced by the people as they fought to possess their new land mirror and shed light on today’s reality. Hattin approaches the text as literary narrative, considering it from the perspectives of rabbinic midrash, medieval commentary, and modern scholarship. Eloquently and perceptively, he draws the reader into one of the defining periods in Jewish history, in which the new nation strives to forge a collective identity in their homeland.

Genres: Judaism, Jewish, Nonfiction

373 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 7, 2015

Reviews

[Jonah Mishaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always appreciated the Maggid Tanakh series. Despite that, I found it a bit challenging to connect with this book at first. Perhaps it's because I had already studied the beginning sections of the book before and didn’t feel like it was adding much new analysis initially. I ended up putting the book down, intending to eventually return to it, but didn’t get back to it for about two years.

I came across the author on a podcast and enjoyed hearing him speak, which encouraged me to give the book another chance. I’m very glad I did. Upon revisiting, I found the author deepened my understanding of the text. I especially enjoyed how he explores larger themes and connects episodes in Joshua to previous ones in the Torah, as well as later books in Tanakh (though not as much as with the Torah itself).

The author’s writing is clear, sometimes imaginative and evocative, but overall remains fairly straightforward. I appreciated the way he tackled complex issues, for example the discussions around warfare and its halachic dimensions, examining how the traditional commentators approach the restrictions and parameters of warfare.

Although this isn't my favorite entry in the Maggid series, I found it enjoyable and learned a lot from it. I would recommend it and I'm also interested in reading the series' commentary to the book of Judges, also by this author.

[Jengordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Periodic interesting bits, but much of the book is summary rather than analysis and there are a few sections where he repeats material (summary) unnecessarily. Good introductory material, but not a lot therefor someone who's already familiar with the text and major commentators.

[Mark Belsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and with great insights. Carefully follows the chronology of the Book of Joshua. Every student of the Book of Joshua should read this along side the Tanaka. Hattie manages the difficult sections particularly well.

[Neil White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Hattin's volume on Joshua is a very approachable study on the book written primarily for use by people in a community rather than scholars. As a Christian reader I find it beneficial to hear the wisdom of our Jewish ancestors for the books we share as a part of our scriptures.

[The Jewish Book Council]

Review by Avraham Bronstein for the Jewish Book Council.