The Book of Joshua, chapter 22 with BAC Explanations. East of the Jordan an Altar is erected.
Joshua 22
[Joshua 22:1] THEN JOSHUA CALLED THE REUBENITES, AND THE GADITES, AND THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH,
[Joshua 22:2] AND SAID UNTO THEM, YE HAVE KEPT ALL THAT MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD COMMANDED YOU, AND HAVE OBEYED MY VOICE IN ALL THAT I COMMANDED YOU:
[Joshua 22:3] YE HAVE NOT LEFT YOUR BRETHREN THESE MANY DAYS UNTO THIS DAY, BUT HAVE KEPT THE CHARGE OF THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD YOUR GOD.
[Joshua 22:4] AND NOW THE LORD YOUR GOD HATH GIVEN REST UNTO YOUR BRETHREN, AS HE PROMISED THEM: THEREFORE NOW RETURN YE, AND GET YOU UNTO YOUR TENTS, AND UNTO THE LAND OF YOUR POSSESSION, WHICH MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD GAVE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE JORDAN.
The Tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh received their inheritances east of the Jordan in the lands stretching from the Jordan to the Euphrates River (1-Chronicles 5:9) in present-day Iraq. They left their women and children and part of their menfolk in encampments while a large contingent of warriors went of to assist the other tribes in conquering the land. According to verses in the Book of Chronicles and tradition they returned to their lands just as their children (who had now grown up) were being attacked by Arab hordes. They recognized their children (as distinct from those who were attacking them) by calling on the Almighty. This legend is very similar to legends concerning the Scythians as recorded by Herodotus and the Gothic historian Jordanes. We intend to dedicate an article in the future to a comparative analysis of the said traditions.
[Joshua 22:5] BUT TAKE DILIGENT HEED TO DO THE COMMANDMENT AND THE LAW, WHICH MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD CHARGED YOU, TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND TO WALK IN ALL HIS WAYS, AND TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, AND TO CLEAVE UNTO HIM, AND TO SERVE HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL.
The bottom line is that you must love and serve God and keep the commandments. The Lost Ten Tribes are not bound by the commandments in the strict sense at present but nevertheless they are called on to keep them. Keeping the commandments for the Lost Ten Tribes AT PRESENT could possibly be fulfilled by learning about them and doing deeds consistent with them.. From what I have heard in nearly every Christian denomination in the west there exist groups and tendencies towards returning to the Hebrew roots. Even so the ultimate goal should be to achieve unity with Judah and mainstream Observance as may be seen in continuation of this chapter. This is our opinion but no-one is in a hurry. Before anything can even be considered in any direction The right knowledge must be spread. The truth of Brit-Am must go out. It does not necessarily ever have to be universally accepted but it should go much further than it has done till now. We are not the only ones who are responsible for this. The fact that this truth speaks to you means that you too in some way have been called to help in this regard.
[Joshua 22:6] SO JOSHUA BLESSED THEM, AND SENT THEM AWAY: AND THEY WENT UNTO THEIR TENTS.
[Joshua 22:7] NOW TO THE ONE HALF OF THE TRIBE OF MANASSEH MOSES HAD GIVEN POSSESSION IN BASHAN: BUT UNTO THE OTHER HALF THEREOF GAVE JOSHUA AMONG THEIR BRETHREN ON THIS SIDE JORDAN WESTWARD. AND WHEN JOSHUA SENT THEM AWAY ALSO UNTO THEIR TENTS, THEN HE BLESSED THEM,
[Joshua 22:8] AND HE SPAKE UNTO THEM, SAYING, RETURN WITH MUCH RICHES UNTO YOUR TENTS, AND WITH VERY MUCH CATTLE, WITH SILVER, AND WITH GOLD, AND WITH BRASS, AND WITH IRON, AND WITH VERY MUCH RAIMENT: DIVIDE THE SPOIL OF YOUR ENEMIES WITH YOUR BRETHREN.
[Joshua 22:9] AND THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD AND THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH RETURNED, AND DEPARTED FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OUT OF SHILOH, WHICH IS IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, TO GO UNTO THE COUNTRY OF GILEAD, TO THE LAND OF THEIR POSSESSION, WHEREOF THEY WERE POSSESSED, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD BY THE HAND OF MOSES.
According to the Malbim: The original intention had been that all the twelve tribes conquer the land of Canaan west of the Jordan, divide it between them, then conquer the land east of the Jordan up to the Euphrates and the north and then divide that between them. Reuben and Gad had jumped the gun and requested to receive their share at once east of the Jordan while sending their menfolk with the other tribes to help conquer and divide the land west of the Jordan. This was agreed to and they received their request along with the half-tribe of Manasseh. In the course of time groups from the Tribes west of the Jordan split off and went to find inheritances of their own east of the Jordan. We therefore find contingents from Ephraim, Judah, Benjamin, and Dan east of the Jordan at a later stage. We briefly discussed this situation in our works The Tribes and Lost Israelite Identity .
[Joshua 22:10] AND WHEN THEY CAME UNTO THE BORDERS OF JORDAN, THAT ARE IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD AND THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH BUILT THERE AN ALTAR BY JORDAN, A GREAT ALTAR TO SEE TO.
[Joshua 22:11] AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HEARD SAY, BEHOLD, THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD AND THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH HAVE BUILT AN ALTAR OVER AGAINST THE LAND OF CANAAN, IN THE BORDERS OF JORDAN, AT THE PASSAGE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.
[Joshua 22:12] AND WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HEARD OF IT, THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER AT SHILOH, TO GO UP TO WAR AGAINST THEM.
Rabbi Yigal Ariel wrote a work in Hebrew ( Oz VeAnavah = Strength and Humility) concerning the Books of Joshua and Judges. He compares the situation above with that of the American Civil War which was fought over the rights of part of the American nation to secede from the Union. Note the place-name Shiloh and its role in both situations. One of our subscribers (Robert Graves?) pointed out that in the American Civil War The place of the battle was known as Shiloh to one side and Manasses (i.e. Manasseh) to the other. Shiloh and Manasses being both place names in the region. In our work Joseph we even pointed out that the Southern USA was dominated by descendants of the Galatae from Gilead of Israel east of the Jordan River. In Joseph we quoted a source that from the descendants of the Tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan would come the first group out of the Lost Ten Tribes to return. These people are today to be found mainly in the so-called Bible Belt of the USA. This is the region that today is most supportive of the State of Israel. It is also the area (together with California) where Brit-Am has been the best received. [I am just going on impressions. I have not made a proper analysis and may be mistaken].
[Joshua 22:13] AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SENT UNTO THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, AND TO THE CHILDREN OF GAD, AND TO THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH, INTO THE LAND OF GILEAD, PHINEHAS THE SON OF ELEAZAR THE PRIEST,
[Joshua 22:14] AND WITH HIM TEN PRINCES, OF EACH CHIEF HOUSE A PRINCE THROUGHOUT ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL; AND EACH ONE WAS AN HEAD OF THE HOUSE OF THEIR FATHERS AMONG THE THOUSANDS OF ISRAEL.
[Joshua 22:15] AND THEY CAME UNTO THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, AND TO THE CHILDREN OF GAD AND TO THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH, UNTO THE LAND OF GILEAD, AND THEY SPAKE WITH THEM, SAYING,
[Joshua 22:16] THUS SAITH THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE LORD, WHAT TRESPASS IS THIS THAT YE HAVE COMMITTED AGAINST THE GOD OF ISRAEL, TO TURN AWAY THIS DAY FROM FOLLOWING THE LORD, IN THAT YE HAVE BUILDED YOU AN ALTAR, THAT YE MIGHT REBEL THIS DAY AGAINST THE LORD?
[Joshua 22:17] IS THE INIQUITY OF PEOR TOO LITTLE FOR US, FROM WHICH WE ARE NOT CLEANSED UNTIL THIS DAY, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A PLAGUE IN THE CONGREGATION OF THE LORD,
[Joshua 22:18] BUT THAT YE MUST TURN AWAY THIS DAY FROM FOLLOWING THE LORD? AND IT WILL BE, SEEING YE REBEL TO DAY AGAINST THE LORD, THAT TO MORROW HE WILL BE WROTH WITH THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL.
[Joshua 22:19] NOTWITHSTANDING, IF THE LAND OF YOUR POSSESSION BE UNCLEAN, THEN PASS YE OVER UNTO THE LAND OF THE POSSESSION OF THE LORD, WHEREIN THE LORD'S TABERNACLE DWELLETH, AND TAKE POSSESSION AMONG US: BUT REBEL NOT AGAINST THE LORD, NOR REBEL AGAINST US, IN BUILDING YOU AN ALTAR BESIDE THE ALTAR OF THE LORD OUR GOD.
[Joshua 22:20] DID NOT ACHAN THE SON OF ZERAH COMMIT A TRESPASS IN THE ACCURSED THING, AND WRATH FELL ON ALL THE CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL? AND THAT MAN PERISHED NOT ALONE IN HIS INIQUITY.
[Joshua 22:21] THEN THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD AND THE HALF TRIBE OF MANASSEH ANSWERED, AND SAID UNTO THE HEADS OF THE THOUSANDS OF ISRAEL,
[Joshua 22:22] THE LORD GOD OF GODS, THE LORD GOD OF GODS, HE KNOWETH, AND ISRAEL HE SHALL KNOW; IF IT BE IN REBELLION, OR IF IN TRANSGRESSION AGAINST THE LORD, (SAVE US NOT THIS DAY,)
[Joshua 22:23] THAT WE HAVE BUILT US AN ALTAR TO TURN FROM FOLLOWING THE LORD, OR IF TO OFFER THEREON BURNT OFFERING OR MEAT OFFERING, OR IF TO OFFER PEACE OFFERINGS THEREON, LET THE LORD HIMSELF REQUIRE IT;
[Joshua 22:24] AND IF WE HAVE NOT RATHER DONE IT FOR FEAR OF THIS THING, SAYING, IN TIME TO COME YOUR CHILDREN MIGHT SPEAK UNTO OUR CHILDREN, SAYING, WHAT HAVE YE TO DO WITH THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL?
[Joshua 22:25] FOR THE LORD HATH MADE JORDAN A BORDER BETWEEN US AND YOU, YE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND CHILDREN OF GAD; YE HAVE NO PART IN THE LORD: SO SHALL YOUR CHILDREN MAKE OUR CHILDREN CEASE FROM FEARING THE LORD.
[Joshua 22:26] THEREFORE WE SAID, LET US NOW PREPARE TO BUILD US AN ALTAR, NOT FOR BURNT OFFERING, NOR FOR SACRIFICE:
[Joshua 22:27] BUT THAT IT MAY BE A WITNESS BETWEEN US, AND YOU, AND OUR GENERATIONS AFTER US, THAT WE MIGHT DO THE SERVICE OF THE LORD BEFORE HIM WITH OUR BURNT OFFERINGS, AND WITH OUR SACRIFICES, AND WITH OUR PEACE OFFERINGS; THAT YOUR CHILDREN MAY NOT SAY TO OUR CHILDREN IN TIME TO COME, YE HAVE NO PART IN THE LORD.
[Joshua 22:28] THEREFORE SAID WE, THAT IT SHALL BE, WHEN THEY SHOULD SO SAY TO US OR TO OUR GENERATIONS IN TIME TO COME, THAT WE MAY SAY AGAIN, BEHOLD THE PATTERN OF THE ALTAR OF THE LORD, WHICH OUR FATHERS MADE, NOT FOR BURNT OFFERINGS, NOR FOR SACRIFICES; BUT IT IS A WITNESS BETWEEN US AND YOU.
[Joshua 22:29] GOD FORBID THAT WE SHOULD REBEL AGAINST THE LORD, AND TURN THIS DAY FROM FOLLOWING THE LORD, TO BUILD AN ALTAR FOR BURNT OFFERINGS, FOR MEAT OFFERINGS, OR FOR SACRIFICES, BESIDE THE ALTAR OF THE LORD OUR GOD THAT IS BEFORE HIS TABERNACLE.
[Joshua 22:30] AND WHEN PHINEHAS THE PRIEST, AND THE PRINCES OF THE CONGREGATION AND HEADS OF THE THOUSANDS OF ISRAEL WHICH WERE WITH HIM, HEARD THE WORDS THAT THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD AND THE CHILDREN OF MANASSEH SPAKE, IT PLEASED THEM.
[Joshua 22:31] AND PHINEHAS THE SON OF ELEAZAR THE PRIEST SAID UNTO THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, AND TO THE CHILDREN OF GAD, AND TO THE CHILDREN OF MANASSEH, THIS DAY WE PERCEIVE THAT THE LORD IS AMONG US, BECAUSE YE HAVE NOT COMMITTED THIS TRESPASS AGAINST THE LORD: NOW YE HAVE DELIVERED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OUT OF THE HAND OF THE LORD.
[Joshua 22:32] AND PHINEHAS THE SON OF ELEAZAR THE PRIEST, AND THE PRINCES, RETURNED FROM THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN, AND FROM THE CHILDREN OF GAD, OUT OF THE LAND OF GILEAD, UNTO THE LAND OF CANAAN, TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND BROUGHT THEM WORD AGAIN.
[Joshua 22:33] AND THE THING PLEASED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BLESSED GOD, AND DID NOT INTEND TO GO UP AGAINST THEM IN BATTLE, TO DESTROY THE LAND WHEREIN THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND GAD DWELT.
[Joshua 22:34] AND THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD CALLED THE ALTAR ED: FOR IT SHALL BE A WITNESS BETWEEN US THAT THE LORD IS GOD.
This is an important chapter and deserves a more thorough study than we have given it. Its pertinence however lies more in the future than the present and this justifies us in moving on to the next stage.