This is the end of a project begun in 2019 – a meditation on Genesis 1 through Judges 1 in attempt to understand the narrative threads that run through Caleb’s story. Those threads continue through Judges into David’s story and beyond.

Thanks to all who’ve followed. All this is eventually going somewhere more accessible to most. Your support is appreciated.

The next phase of the project is to consider Caleb’s limited presence in the early church fathers and Jewish extra-biblical literature. In the near future, posts on this account will likely be even farther apart and on those topics.

This is the end of a project begun in 2019 – a meditation on Genesis 1 through Judges 1 in attempt to understand the narrative threads that run through Caleb’s story. Those threads continue through Judges into David’s story and beyond.

Deuteronomy 7:22 indicates God intended a slow occupation of the land dependent on the Israelites’ growth to populate it, “otherwise wild animals would become too numerous for [them].”

”Then they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had promised; and he drove out from there the three sons of Anak.”

setting the stage for a great enemy's emergence in the days of the next great Judahite leader.

The failure to quickly kill the Lord of Bezek and conquer the territory defended by iron chariots may indicate a crumbling of resolve and faithfulness, but this is not the only way to receive the passage.

Looking at a map, it appears Judah, at least for a time, controlled territory on every side, but the city in the middle of the plain with iron chariots, to which the giant Anakim fled (Joshua 11 tells us they went to Gaza, Ashdod, and Gath), remains unconquered,

In keeping with the biblical authors’ common practice, we get few details about Israel’s enemies, and here, the unstated powerful enemy is Gath. Gaza, Ashkelon, and even Ekron are all closer to the coast (and farther from Hebron).

which is mentioned as part of Judah in Joshua 15, and, not mentioned as conquered in any Judah lists, Gath.

“Now the Lord was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had iron chariots.”

apparently the same city the rebellious Israelites were driven beyond when they attempted to go up into the land without God’s support in Numbers 14.

Judah takes three of the cities associated later with the Philistines – Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, leaving Ashdod,

Elsewhere, we discussed their association with metal work, making them a significant addition to Judah’s life in the land and effectiveness in war.

Closing the circle on an earlier Israelite battle loss, Judah and Simeon attack Zephath,

Achsah and Othniel’s short story of obedience, acquiring fruitful land, and protecting it recalls the Genesis 2 ideal and foreshadows themes of the Judahite Boaz and Ruth story to come.
The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenites, come up from the wilderness to dwell with Judah in the land.

Judges 1 retells the capture of Hebron and Caleb’s interaction with Othniel over Caleb’s daughter Achsah, first with the capture of Debir/Kiriath Sepher and then with Achsah’s advocacy for a fruitful inheritance.

They capture Jerusalem, though, significantly, it later is no longer under Israelite control, and set it on fire. They fight in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowland. In a passage substantially similar to part of Joshua 15,

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The majority of American evangelicals chose a leader who looks like Genesis 4-11 and are conforming to his image

Michael Morales