Nisan 5, 5785; from sunset April 2, 2025, to sunset April 3, 2025
(The fifth day of the first month)
This is the name Yehoshua (Joshua); Joshua means “The LORD Saves.” The top image was written ~2,000 years ago and was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The bottom image was written ~1,000 years ago and is from the Aleppo Codex (the Crown of Aleppo). The top image was written on a scroll, possibly in Qumran, near the Dead Sea. The bottom is in a bound manuscript, written in Tiberias, near the Sea of Galilee, which later made its way to Aleppo (Syria). The Aleppo Codex is now housed in the Shrine of the Book alongside the Dead Sea Scrolls.
As you can see, the letter form for the name “Yehoshua” changed little over one thousand years. Even today, two thousand years after the Dead Sea Scrolls were written, most Hebrew readers can get through them without difficulty. However, did you notice that there is a difference between the two? The Aleppo Codex contains the dots and dashes, also known as vowel points (nikkudim). They were invented by a group of people known as the “Masoretes” (“Tradition Keepers”) to aid in the pronunciation of vowels. The Hebrew alphabet does not include vowel letters, so the pronunciation of vowel sounds was passed on by oral tradition. With the dispersion of the Jewish people throughout the earth, the Masoretes saw a need to create a way to carry on the traditional pronunciation of the Scriptures. Just as in English, changing a vowel sound can change the meaning of the word. Whenever you hear the term “Masoretic texts” – these are the texts written by the Masoretes. They played a large part in the formation of the Bibles that you and I read today. A big “thank you” to the Masoretes!
Joshua Sends Spies to Jericho
Today in the Bible is the traditional date for when Joshua dispatched the two spies to scope out the Land, especially Jericho. This was done in preparation of the famous crossing of the Jordan River, when the children of Israel finally step foot into the Promised Land. We hope you’ll join us for future posts as we follow, not only Joshua and the children of Israel, but also as we learn more about Rahab and the amazing picture her name paints when read in the ancient pictographs of the Hebrew alphabet.
And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, “Behold, certain men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring forth the men that have come to you, who entered your house; for they have come to search out all the land.”
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them; and she said, “True, men came to me, but I did not know where they came from; and when the gate was to be closed, at dark, the men went out; where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” But she had brought them up to the roof, and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords; and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
Before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any man, because of you; for the LORD your God is he who is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now then, swear to me by the LORD that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign, and save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.”
And the men said to her, “Our life for yours! If you do not tell this business of ours, then we will deal kindly and faithfully with you when the LORD gives us the land.” Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she dwelt in the wall. And she said to them, “Go into the hills, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers have returned; then afterward you may go your way.”
The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours which you have made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, you shall bind this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down; and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. If any one goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we shall be guiltless; but if a hand is laid upon any one who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath which you have made us swear.”
And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed; and she bound the scarlet cord in the window. They departed, and went into the hills, and remained there three days, until the pursuers returned; for the pursuers had made search all along the way and found nothing. Then the two men came down again from the hills, and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun; and they told him all that had befallen them. And they said to Joshua, “Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands; and moreover all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of us.” – Joshua 2 (RSV)
To read all of our posts about Joshua, please click on the image above.
© 2025 Today in the Bible
Today in the Bible 
You must be logged in to post a comment.