Schrodinger’s Bible

When Othniel marries Achsah, Joshua is both alive and dead.

Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as I attempt to read the Bible with fresh eyes, as if I don’t know anything about it, and without consulting experts on what it “really” means. Let’s see where this takes us!

Judges 1

I’m reading Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Most striking to me is that the story of Caleb’s daughter Achsah, the trophy wife of Joshua 15, is repeated. And this made me double-check some chapters in Joshua to see if there are contradictions.

From Joshua 21:

43 Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to their ancestors that he would give them, and having taken possession of it, they settled there. 44 And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors; not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

In Joshua 22, Joshua sends the armies of the tribes that settled east of the Jordan because the wars are over. Joshua 23 begins with “A long time afterward, when the…