Guiding Questions: Joshua 15

This is part of the Tanakh Yomi Project.

  1. What type of “map” would the author have had available in order to decline the borders, as he has, in such detail?
  2. And was this description (possibly) true of the time when the author was writing or of the time regarding which he was writing — namely, the time of the “conquest”?
  3. In Joshua 15:2 we find reference to the “Salt Sea.” What does that tell us regarding the “natural characteristics” of the land thousands of years ago?
  4. In Joshua 15:4 there is reference to the “Nahal Mitzrayim.” Does this have anything to do with the Nile?
  5. The term “yamah” means seaward. What direction is this and, when text refers to “yam,” what body of water does it invariably have in mind?
  6. Why, in Joshua 15:8 is it necessary to add the sub-explanation “it is Jerusalem” and, further, what is “gey-hinom” and what has it come to mean subsequently?
  7. Why, adjunctive to the description of the boundaries of the Judea “portion,” do we immediately follow with that for Kalev ben Y’funeh?
  8. In Joshua 15:15, there is a reference to the “city of the book.” What would this imply about that particular location?
  9. In Joshua 15:18, what happened with the newly married couple and who takes the initiative — bride or groom?
  10. In Joshua 15:51, there is a reference to the place named Goshen. Is this the same location as that which appears in the Egypt narrative?
  11. Joshua 15:63 confirms that the Jebusites dwell among the Judeans in Jerusalem “to this very day.” What might be derived from this particular passage?

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    Exploring Judaism is the digital home for Conservative/Masorti Judaism, embracing the beauty and complexity of Judaism, and our personal search for meaning, learning, and connecting. Our goal is to create content based on three core framing: Meaning-Making (Why?), Practical Living (How?), and Explainers (What?).

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Perek Yomi materials originally produced by the USCJ and Dr. Morton K. Siegel.
We are grateful to be able to share this material.

Author

  • favicon of exploring judaism logo

    Exploring Judaism is the digital home for Conservative/Masorti Judaism, embracing the beauty and complexity of Judaism, and our personal search for meaning, learning, and connecting. Our goal is to create content based on three core framing: Meaning-Making (Why?), Practical Living (How?), and Explainers (What?).

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