The Book of Joshua—Part 1: Texts and Versions

Over the past few decades there has been increased interest in, and research on, the text of the book of Joshua in the Masoretic tradition, the Septuagint, and other ancient versions, as well as the fragmentary remains from the Dead Sea Scrolls. This article provides a discussion of the ancient evidence and an analysis of the major modern theories. English translations of the various textual traditions are compared and discussed. Although the differences are not as extensive as in Jeremiah, and the Qumran material is relatively scant, contemporary scholars have devised a number of intriguing theories to explain the differences and to highlight their significance within the literary, textual, and theological development of this important biblical book. This article is the first half of a two-part treatment discussing recent scholarship on the book of Joshua.