Did Joshua 10 really say the sun and moon literally stopped — or have we missed what an ancient reader would’ve heard immediately?
We conclude our deep dive into Joshua 10:12–15, one of the most debated miracle passages in the Old Testament. The conversation centers on whether the famous line about the sun standing still over Gibeon and the moon over the Valley of Aijalon should be read as a miraculous astronomical event — or as poetic language rooted in ancient Near Eastern celestial omen traditions.
Dr. Chavalas examines the sudden shift from military narrative to poetry in Joshua 10, the Hebrew verbs traditionally translated “stand still,” and how similar language appears in Mesopotamian celestial divination texts. The episode also explores why the geographical details in the passage suggest morning, not evening, and how ancient armies interpreted the positioning of heavenly bodies as divine signals for battle.Rather than reducing the miracle, this discussion asks whether Joshua 10 may actually portray a different kind of cosmic event — one centered on divine providence, participation in God’s will, and the theological claim that “the LORD listened to the voice of a man.”
🔥 In This Episode:
➡️ Why Joshua 10 contains a poetic section embedded in military narrative
➡️ What the Hebrew verbs dāmam and ʿāmad can mean beyond “stop”
➡️ How Mesopotamian omen texts used sun and moon positioning for warfare
➡️ Why the phrase “a day like no other” may focus on divine response, not astronomy
➡️ How ancient readers may have understood this event very differently than modern audiences
💬 Let’s Talk in the CommentsDo you think Joshua 10 is describing a literal astronomical event — or ancient omen-style language used to describe divine providence? Drop your questions below.
Primary Biblical Texts:
Joshua 10:12–15 - Joshua 5:13–15
Ancient Near Eastern Sources:
Enuma Anu Enlil (Mesopotamian celestial omen series)
Campbell Thompson, Reports of the Magicians and Astrologers of Nineveh and Babylon, Vols. 1–2 (London: Luzac, 1900–1902)
Key Scholarly Articles:
Walton, John H.“Joshua 10:12–15 and Mesopotamian Celestial Omen Texts.”
In Faith, Tradition, and History: Old Testament Historiography in Its Near Eastern Context, edited by Alan Millard, James Hoffmeier, and David Baker, 181–190. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1994.Wilson, Robert Dick.
Ancient History & Comparative Sources:
Plutarch, Life of NiciasLivy, History of Rome.
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