The Book of Joshua as a Royal Land Grant
A Royal Land Grant is given by a Suzerain (Superior Party) to a faithful and loyal vassal (Servant Party).
The Royal Land Grant is unique in the Ancient Near Eastern World because there are so few examples of them;
however, when compared against one another they represent a similar kind of pattern in the arrangement of
material.
From the neighboring state to the north of Ugarit comes an important land grant. It dates back to the
eighteenth century B.C.E. This grant is different from other land grants. Traditionally, a land grant will give a
faithful servant a large parcel of land. However, the Alalakh grant (AT 456) describes the gift from one king to
another of a city along with its villages and lands. The gift is thus a city-state or kingdom rather than a parcel of
land. In fact, this text describes the legal deeding of the kingdom of Alalakh to the king who would begin a
dynasty at the site.
This kind of Royal Land Grant, really a grant for a Kingdom, is the closest possible parallel to the book of
Joshua. The Alalakh grant is made up of three parts (1) A Re-Telling of Past Faithfulness of the Vassal to the
Suzerain, (2) the allotment and distribution of the land and cities and (3) oaths and witnesses making covenant
promises to continue faithfulness to the Suzerain.
Your job is to make a chart that lays out the Book of Joshua as a Royal Land grant. Follow these
instructions.
A. Read the Book of Joshua in one sitting and label which chapters you think correspond with these five
headings (look at #4 for a hint):
1. Review of Israel’s (Vassal) Recent Faithfulness to the ADONAI (Suzerain)
2. Israel Receives the Land Grant by tribal Allotment
3. Requirements for loyalty and warnings concerning disloyalty
4. Covenant Renewal (24:1-28)
5. Conclusion
B. Next, make a chart on Excel or Numbers. Make the Header Row have the Title: The Book of Joshua
as a Royal Land Grant. If you are not fluent with Excel or Numbers I suggest you use a piece of
11x17 paper or another large piece of paper and a pencil.
C. Underneath the Header for each section fill in given the given information. Look at the next page for
how to set up the columns and fill the out. For example,
1. Under “Review of Israel’s Recent Faithfulness” you have four columns:
i. The first column is where the Passage (or chapters) where the Battle is discussed is
placed. This includes everything that has to do with the battle from the preparations to the
outcome. In this column also include the name of the chief enemy and location of Battle.
ii. The Second column is where you will list the preparations for the battle. This will include
everything from divine speeches, prayer, spies, plans for battle, etc.
iii. The third column is where you label the outcome of the battle.
iv. The fourth column is where you list Key Words. These are words that are repeated,
emphasized, or seem very important to the overall section.
2. Do this for each of the five main columns (don't forget to add the fifth conclusion column
even though you don’t see it in the example on the next page).
D. Once you finish the chart look at the bottom of the next page for a surprise question!
Review of Israel’s (Vassal) Recent
Faithfulness to the ADONAI (Suzerain)
_______________________
Passage
Battle
Location,
& Chief
Enemy(s)
7:1-15
The Battle
for Ai (Part
1)
City of Ai.
Chief
Enemy is
King of Ai.
Preparations/
Miracles



Unfaithfulness
to the Cherem
(7:1)
Scout out the
land (7:2)
Reduced
Military Force
(7:3-4)
Outcome
Israel has
sinned.
They have
violated
My
covenant
that I
appointed
for them….
This is
why the
Israelites
cannot
stand
against
their
enemies. t
(7:11-12)
Key
Words
Sin,
Violat
e
Cove
nant
Israel Receives the Land
Grant by tribal Allotment
________________________
Passage
Tribal
Allotment
*13:33
Levi has no
allotment
of this
land/the
Lord is
their
Inheritance
Unconquered
People or
Land
Requirements for loyalty and
warnings concerning disloyalty
________________________
Passage
23:1416
Requirements/Warnings
Key
Words
Covenant Renewal
Joshua 24:1-28
Passage
Covenant
Renewal
Key
Words
Warning Against Breaking
Covenant.
Now that you have seen the Book of Joshua is laid out as a Royal Land Grant, answer the following surprise questions. Do you think
the Book of Joshua is really trying to highlight Joshua’s role as a Warrior or is it trying to highlight another role he is serving in
relationship to the Royal Land grant? And, what is Joshua’s relationship between the Vassal (Israel) and the Suzerain (ADONAI)?
Why is this important and what are the implications?