Book of Joshua Quiz: Land Division and the Covenant

1. At the start of the land distribution phase, God told Joshua there was still much land to be taken. What does this suggest about the conquest?

1. God was expanding the original boundaries — what remained was bonus territory beyond the original promise
2. The conquest was a complete failure — God had to revise his plan and allow Israel to coexist with the Canaanites
3. The conquest was partial and ongoing — the initial military campaign broke the power of the kings, but much land still needed to be settled and occupied tribe by tribe
4. The land promise was conditional — Israel had not been faithful enough to receive all of it

2. Why did the tribe of Levi receive no territorial allotment?

1. 'The tribe of Levi is the only tribe that did not receive an allotment, because the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them'
2. Because of their role in the golden calf incident, God removed their right to land permanently
3. Levi refused an allotment — they preferred to serve God at the tabernacle rather than farm or fight
4. Levi was too small to defend a territory — it was safer for them to be distributed among other tribes

3. What method was used to allocate the tribal territories west of the Jordan?

1. Joshua personally assigned each territory based on each tribe's military strength and population
2. Moses had already determined all the boundaries before his death — Joshua simply announced what Moses had written
3. The lot was cast before the LORD at Shiloh — divine guidance through the casting of lots determined each tribe's territory
4. The tribes voted on their preferred territories — those with the most votes got first choice

4. What was distinctive about the inheritance Joseph's tribe received, resulting in two tribal territories?

1. Because Joseph had two sons (Ephraim and Manasseh) who had each been blessed by Jacob, the tribe of Joseph counted as two tribes — each receiving its own territory
2. Joseph's territory was divided as punishment — the tribe had complained about their allotment and God divided them as a rebuke
3. Joseph's territory was too large for one tribe, so it was administratively divided by the priests at Shiloh
4. The eastern half-tribe of Manasseh settled east of Jordan while the western half settled west — creating two Manassite territories

5. Where were the six cities of refuge located, and what was their purpose?

1. All six were in Jerusalem and surrounding areas — the capital was the safest place for someone fleeing
2. The cities of refuge were distributed one per tribe — each tribe was responsible for its own cases of accidental homicide
3. They were all Levitical cities — the priests served as judges and protectors of those seeking asylum
4. Three east of Jordan (Bezer, Ramoth, Golan) and three west (Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron/Kirjath Arba) — for anyone who accidentally killed another person to flee from the avenger of blood

6. What was the eastern tribes' altar controversy in Joshua 22, and how was it resolved?

1. Reuben built an altar to a Canaanite god — the other tribes went to war and destroyed it as commanded by Moses
2. Reuben, Gad and half-Manasseh built an altar before returning home — the other tribes nearly went to war over it, thinking it was for rival worship; the eastern tribes explained it was a memorial witness, not for sacrifice
3. The eastern tribes demanded their own high priest — the western tribes refused, nearly causing civil war
4. The eastern tribes refused to pay tithes to the central sanctuary at Shiloh — a legal dispute that threatened the covenant

7. In Joshua's first farewell speech (ch. 23), what was his central warning?

1. 'Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods... if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you'
2. 'Do not let any Canaanite remain alive — as long as they live among you they will corrupt your worship'
3. 'Do not trust in military alliances with surrounding nations — your strength must come from God alone'
4. 'Pass the law on to your children — if they forget what God has done, they will abandon him within two generations'

8. At the Shechem covenant ceremony, Joshua reviewed Israel's history from Abraham to the present. What was the purpose of this recital?

1. To confirm that Moses's laws were still valid — by reciting the history Moses had witnessed, Joshua validated the Mosaic covenant
2. To document the history for the official temple archives — Shechem was chosen as the site of Israel's first library
3. To embarrass the tribes who had failed during the conquest — the historical review named those who had not driven out their Canaanite inhabitants
4. To show the people everything God had done so they could make an informed, grateful choice to serve him rather than other gods

9. When the people enthusiastically pledged to serve God at Shechem, how did Joshua respond?

1. 'You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins'
2. Joshua accepted their pledge and immediately distributed the final land allotments as a sign of the covenant's renewal
3. Joshua praised their commitment and led them in a celebration feast that lasted seven days
4. Joshua warned them that future generations would abandon the covenant — they must write it down to preserve it

10. What physical memorial did Joshua set up at Shechem after the covenant renewal?

1. He built a stone altar with the names of all twelve tribes inscribed on it
2. He inscribed the covenant terms on the rock face of Mount Gerizim where they could be read by all who passed
3. He planted twelve oak trees — one for each tribe — that were to stand as living memorials to the covenant
4. He set up a large stone under the oak tree saying 'This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us'

11. Three notable burials are recorded at the end of Joshua 24. Who were they?

1. Caleb, Othniel and Phinehas — the three great warriors of the conquest generation
2. Joshua (buried at Timnath Serah), Eleazar the priest (buried at Gibeah), and Joseph's bones (buried at Shechem in the plot Abraham had bought)
3. Joshua, Samuel and Eli — three great leaders who died having served God faithfully throughout their lives
4. Moses, Aaron and Miriam — their bones were brought to Canaan to be buried in the Promised Land

12. What is the theological summary statement about the conquest in Joshua 21:43-45?

1. 'Israel took the land and divided it by lot — the LORD's hand was evident in every boundary and allotment'
2. 'So Israel settled in the land of Canaan and drove out the nations before them, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses'
3. 'The LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there... Not one of all the LORD's good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled'
4. 'The LORD was with Israel as long as Joshua lived — the land had rest from war on every side throughout his leadership'

13. What does the book of Joshua demonstrate about the relationship between divine promise and human obedience?

1. Both are needed: God gave the victories, but Israel had to act in faith — the Ai defeat shows that disobedience brought immediate consequences even in the midst of God's faithfulness to the larger promise
2. Divine promise operates independently of human obedience — God fulfilled his promise despite Israel's failures during the conquest
3. Divine promise was ultimately more important — God completed the conquest even when Israel failed, showing grace triumphs over law
4. Human obedience was the condition for divine blessing — every Israelite victory was preceded by perfect obedience

14. Which tribe received the southernmost allotment including the Negev and the cities of Beersheba, Hebron and Lachish?

1. Dan — allotted the southern coastal plain before they later migrated north
2. Judah — the largest tribal allotment, stretching from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean and from Jerusalem to the Negev
3. Reuben — as Jacob's firstborn son, the tribe received the best and largest territory
4. Simeon — as the tribe related to Levi, they received the southern desert region

15. What happened to the seven tribes who had not yet received their allotment after the initial distribution?

1. Joshua challenged them: 'How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?' He sent three men from each tribe to survey the land and bring back a description
2. The tabernacle remained at Gilgal until all seven tribes received their allotments — then it moved to Shiloh
3. They cast lots immediately at Shiloh and divided the remaining land among themselves without further survey
4. They were allowed to choose any remaining unclaimed land — first come, first served

16. Simeon's territory was unusual — what was distinctive about it?

1. Simeon had no territory at all — they were absorbed into the Levitical cities by Joshua's decree
2. Simeon received the coastline — they became the maritime tribe, building ports and trading with Phoenicia
3. Simeon was given the territory east of Jordan — they declined to fight in Canaan and settled for the Transjordan instead
4. Simeon's allotment was within Judah's territory — carved out of Judah's portion because Judah's share was more than they needed

17. What was the significance of Shiloh as the location for the tabernacle during this period?

1. Shiloh had been a Canaanite religious site — Israel deliberately reclaimed it as a demonstration of YHWH's supremacy over Canaanite gods
2. Shiloh was in Ephraim's territory — and Joshua was from Ephraim, so he chose a city in his own tribe's land
3. Shiloh was the geographic centre of the tribal territories — chosen for practical accessibility
4. Shiloh's selection was a deliberate choice by God — its meaning ('peace' or 'the one to whom it belongs') linked it to the promised rest Israel was experiencing

18. Which tribe received the city of Dan in the south and later migrated north, as recorded in Judges 18?

1. Asher — the coastal tribe found their territory too exposed and moved to the northern hill country
2. Benjamin — they were squeezed between Judah and Ephraim and eventually relocated northward
3. Dan — their original allotment in the southwestern coastal plain was too difficult to hold against the Philistines
4. Zebulun — their allotment bordered hostile Canaanite territory and they relocated for safety

19. What personal gift did Israel give Joshua after completing the land distribution?

1. A portion of the gold and silver taken from the Canaanite cities — the people's tribute to their great commander
2. A special title and authority over all twelve tribes as permanent military commander of Israel
3. The best farmland in the central hill country — chosen by lot from the remaining unclaimed territories
4. The city of Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim — which he had asked for and which he rebuilt

20. The book of Joshua ends with 'Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him.' What ominous implication does this have for the book that follows?

1. It implies Israel was always faithful — the statement is purely celebratory with no dark implication
2. It implies that faithfulness was tied to the presence of godly leaders — when that generation died, the next generation without living memory of God's acts would drift away (as Judges 2:10-12 confirms)
3. It implies that the law was only binding during Joshua's generation — each new generation would need a new covenant
4. It implies the conquest was incomplete — without Joshua's continued leadership, the remaining Canaanites would never be driven out