Joshua son of Nun is Moses' successor; of the tribe of Ephraim; he led the Israelites in the conquest and settlement of Canaan. In the wilderness, Joshua led a victorious battle against Amalek, was the faithful attendant of Moses, and was one of twelve scouts Moses sent to spy out Canaan with only he and Caleb reporting favorably on the prospects of conquest.
The Bible tells of miracles at the beginning of the conquest: the splitting of the Jordan River, collapse of Jericho's walls, victory over five Amorite kings, and the sun's standing still at Gibeon. Joshua came down from the hill region to take the lowlands, then pushed northward, completing the conquest in seven years, except for some valley and coastal enclaves.
He spent the next seven years apportioning the land among the tribes. He also served as spiritual-religious leader: “Moses received the Torah at Sinai and handed it on to Joshua, who handed it on to the elders” (Mishnah, Avot 1:1), and instituted regulations for the public welfare (BT, Ber. 48b, 22b). Before dying, Joshua exhorted the nation to observe the Torah and avoid neighboring idolatrous people. He died at age 110 and was buried on the family estate at Timnath-serah (Heres, or Hares) in the Ephraim Hills.
The sixth book of the Bible, bearing his name, tells the story of the conquest of Canaan.
