Texts in Conversation
Joshua is described dividing the conquered land to the tribes of Israel. The Christian theologian Justin Martyr connects this to Jesus, saying that just as Joshua gave Israel a temporary homeland, Jesus will give his people a permanent home.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Joshua 18:10
Hebrew Bible
9 The men journeyed through the land and mapped it and its cities out into seven regions on a scroll. Then they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. 10 Joshua drew lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord and divided the land among the Israelites according to their allotted portions. 11 The first lot belonged to the tribe of Benjamin by its clans. Their allotted territory was between Judah and Joseph.
Justin Martyr Dialogue with Trypho 113
Early Christian
What I mean is this. Jesus (Joshua), as I have now frequently remarked, who was called Oshea, when he was sent to spy out the land of Canaan, was named by Moses Jesus (Joshua). Why he did this you neither ask, nor are at a loss about it, nor make strict inquiries. Therefore Christ has escaped your notice; and though you read, you understand not; and even now, though you hear that Jesus is our Christ, you consider not that the name was bestowed on Him not purposelessly nor by chance. But you make a theological discussion as to why one ' α ' was added to Abraham's first name; and as to why one ' ρ ' was added to Sarah's name, you use similar high-sounding disputations. But why do you not similarly investigate the reason why the name of Oshea the son of Nave (Nun), which his father gave him, was changed to Jesus (Joshua)? But since not only was his name altered, but he was also appointed successor to Moses , being the only one of his contemporaries who came out from Egypt , he led the surviving people into the Holy Land; and as he, not Moses , led the people into the Holy Land, and as he distributed it by lot to those who entered along with him, so also Jesus the Christ will turn again the dispersion of the people, and will distribute the good land to each one, though not in the same manner. For the former gave them a temporary inheritance, seeing he was neither Christ who is God , nor the Son of God ; but the latter, after the holy resurrection, shall give us the eternal possession. The former, after he had been named Jesus (Joshua), and after he had received strength from His Spirit, caused the sun to stand still. For I have proved that it was Jesus who appeared to and conversed with Moses , and Abraham , and all the other patriarchs without exception, ministering to the will of the Father; who also, I say, came to be born man by the Virgin Mary , and lives forever. For the latter is He after whom and by whom the Father will renew both the heaven and the earth; this is He who shall shine an eternal light in Jerusalem; this is he who is the king of Salem after the order of Melchizedek , and the eternal Priest of the Most High. The former is said to have circumcised the people a second time with knives of stone (which was a sign of this circumcision with which Jesus Christ Himself has circumcised us from the idols made of stone and of other materials), and to have collected together those who were circumcised from the uncircumcision, i.e., from the error of the world, in every place by the knives of stone, to wit, the words of our Lord Jesus. For I have shown that Christ was proclaimed by the prophets in parables a Stone and a Rock. Accordingly the knives of stone we shall take to mean His words, by means of which so many who were in error have been circumcised from uncircumcision with the circumcision of the heart, with which God by Jesus commanded those from that time to be circumcised who derived their circumcision from Abraham , saying that Jesus (Joshua) would circumcise a second time with knives of stone those who entered into that holy land.
Date: 155-170 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
... Justin Martyr, in a rather creative fashion, understood the final destination of Christians in a similar manner, though it is difficult to know whether he got this from 1 Peter: Why do you Trypho never inquire why the name Hosea, the son of Nun, which his father gave him, was changed to Jesus [=Joshua in Hebrew]? Especially since not only was his name changed, but also, after becoming Moses successor, he alone, of all his contemporaries who fled Egypt, led the rest of the people into the Holy Land. And just as he, not Moses, conducted the people into the Holy Land and distributed it by lot among those who entered, so also will Jesus the Christ gather together the dispersed people and distribute the good land to each, though not in the same manner. (Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 113.3) ...
Liebengood, Kelly D.
The Eschatology of 1 Peter: Considering the Influence of Zechariah 9-14
(pp. 136-137) Cambridge University Press, 2014
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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