Iyyar 10 – Now Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal…

Iyyar 10, 5786; from sunset April 26, 2026, to sunset April 27, 2026

(The tenth day of the second 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.

Today in the Bible, we’re continuing to follow Joshua and the children of Israel as they have entered into the Promised Land. To date they have crossed the Jordan, celebrated the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, taken the city of Jericho, and most recently…they have made Ai a heap of ruins. Now, it’s time to follow the law as given to Moses, and build an altar, placing upon it burnt and peace offerings. We don’t have an exact date for this event, but it would have happened somewhere around this time of year. Let’s pick up where we left off.

Now Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.

Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them. – Joshua 8:30-35 (NKJ)

To read all of our posts about Joshua, please click on the image above.