pted the nomination of
Moses and instructed Joshua in his duties. He told him to be above all
"strong and very courageous," and to fight the enemy according to the
law of Moses. Joshua was not the man to neglect such advice.

Joshua was soon ordered to cross the river Jordan and begin the holy
war. But before doing so, he dispatched two spies to reconnoitre
Jericho, the first place to be attacked. They reached the city by night,
and of course required lodgings. Instinct led them to the house of
Rahab, the harlot. She proved a very good friend; for when messengers
came from the king in the morning to inquire about them, she said that
they had gone, and advised the messengers to go after them, which they
did. Meanwhile she hid the spies under some flax on the roof of her
house, and at night "let them down by a cord through the window, for she
dwelt on the town wall." Before they left, however, she made a covenant
with them. Like many other ladies of easy virtue, or no virtue at
all, Rahab was piously inclined. She had conceived a great respect
for Jehovah, and was assured that his people would overcome all their
enemies. But she had also a great respect for her own skin; so she made
the two spies promise on behalf of the Jews that when they took Jericho
they would spare her and all her relatives; and they were to recognise
her house by the "line of scarlet thread in the window." They got back
safe to Joshua and told him it was all right; the people were in a
dreadful funk, and all the land would soon be theirs.

Joshua got up early the next morning and told the Jews that the Lord was
going to do wonders. They wanted to get "on the other side of Jordan."
and the Lord meant to ferry them across in his own style. Twelve men
were selected, one from each tribe, to follow the priests who bore the
ark in front, and all the Jewish host came after them. As it was harvest
time, the river had overflowed its banks. When the priests' feet "were
dipped in the brim of the water," the river parted in twain; on one side
the waters "stood and rose up upon an heap," while on the other side
they "failed and were cut off." As no miracle was worked further up the
river to stop the supplies, the "heap" must have been a pretty big one
before the play ended. A clear passage having been made, the Jews all
crossed on dry ground. They seem to have done this in less than a day,
but three millions of people could not march past one spot in less than