5.+Glossary

**The Arc of Covenant:** a wooden chest that protected the stone tablets with the 10 Commandments engraved on them. It was a symbol of God’s presence with his people. [|**Read More about the Arc of Covenant**] 
 * __ Glossary __**
 * Canaan:** the region approximating modern-day Israel, Labanon, the Palestinian Territories along with the adjoining coastal lands and parts of Jordan, Syria and north-eastern Egypt.

**Covenant:** a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action. In the case of Joshua it was a promise he made to follow God and his commandments.

**Commission:** being given a task to undertake to get a desired result. For example God commissioned Joshua to take the Israelites across the Jordan to take over their Promised Land.

**Israelites:** the descendants of Biblical patriarch Jacob, who received the name Israel meaning “preserve with God”. Isrealites are also referred to as the Twelve Tribes or Children of Israel.

**Jericho:** a fortress city that Joshua laid siege, with his armies of Israel. By a great miracle the walls fell out from the city, flat on the ground allowing the Israelite army to invade and burn everything in Jericho.

** Joshua: **  comes from the root of the Hebrew word for “salvation”. Joshua can also be written as Yeshua, the name for Jesus. Both Joshua and Jesus mean “the Lord Saves”.

**Levitical Priests:** began in the tribe of Levi. Commissioned by God these Priests taught Law, offered sacrifices, officiated in the Holy place, inspected ceremonial unclean persons, adjudicated disputes and functioned as tax collectors.

** Miracles: ** unexpected events that occur. In the book of Joshua there are three miracles that take place; the crossing of the Jordan River (3:1-4:24), the circling of the city walls of Jericho (6:1-27), and the day the sun stood still in the conquest of southern Canaan (10:12-14).