The book of Joshua is the first of the so-called historical books of the Old Testament. These books include Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
The main focus of historical literature is God and his covenant relationship with Israel.1 That means that we should not read these books in the same way that we read modern historical writings. Today, historical writings are meant to provide accurate information about various things that happened in the past. The focus is on facts and accuracy. In the ancient Near East, however, historical writings were meant primarily to support the rule of a certain king. The emphasis was not on facts but on a narrative that showed why a certain ruler was legitimate. As a result, we should realize that historical writings in the Bible are primarily meant to show us how the Lord has acted in history to fulfil his covenant promises and carry out his agenda.2 This does not mean that the factual information is inaccurate. But it does mean we need to realize that we have different assumptions about history than the authors who originally wrote the Bible.
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant,