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90-596: A folkloric tradition attributes this prayer to the biblical Joshua at the time of his conquest of Jericho . This might have been inspired by the fact that the first letters of the first four verses spell, in reverse, Hoshea , which was the childhood name of Joshua (Numbers 13:16). Another attribution is to the Men of the Great Assembly , during the Second Temple period . An early—that is, pre-Christian—origin of

180-421: A curved forepart. The most notable features of this era included domes and arches that contained geometrical polychrome designs. Many synagogue styles from the 16th to the 19th century can be seen across American and throughout Europe. However, after World War II , the ark design evolved into an art form. New experimental forms and materials were employed in the making of modern arks based on the unique interests of

270-626: A god who cannot save. This sentence is built from two quotations from the Bible, specifically from the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah 30:7, "For the help of Egypt shall be (הבל וריק) vain and empty ..."; and Isaiah 45:20. "... No foreknowledge had they who carry their wooden images (וּמתפּללים אל־אל לא יוֹשׁיע) and pray to a God who cannot give success ." (New JPS) The line is still set out in full in Sephardi and Italian prayer books, but

360-557: A house of prayer. The Torah was brought into the synagogue for reading purposes. In synagogues outside of Jerusalem, the ark is placed in a chamber that is in a recess in the wall, facing Jerusalem , and worshipers face this direction when reciting prayers of the service such as the Amidah . The ark is often closed with a parochet ("curtain") placed either outside the doors of the Holy Ark ( Ashkenazi and Mizrachi custom) or inside

450-413: A man approached Moses after he gave a talk and asked him, "Who is the most knowledgeable person on earth?" Moses responded, "That would be me!" So Allah revealed to Moses that he should not have said this and there was in fact someone who was more knowledgeable than him. Moses was commanded to travel to meet this man, named Al-Khaḍir, at the junction of the two seas. Islamic scholars have argued this could be

540-568: A peaceful movement of the Israelites into various areas of Canaan, contra the Biblical account. William Foxwell Albright questioned the "tenacity" of etiologies, which were key to Noth's analysis of the campaigns in Joshua. Archaeological evidence in the 1930s showed that the city of Ai , an early target for conquest in the putative Joshua account, had existed and been destroyed, but in

630-406: A verse ever existed. Approximately a century after this prayer was incorporated into the daily liturgy, circa 1300, an apostate Jew, known as Pesach Peter, denounced it as a secret anti-Christian slur on the grounds that the word וריק— varik , "and emptiness"—had, in gematria (Hebrew numerology) the value of 316, the same as ישׁו—Jesus. In vain did the rabbis defend the sentence on the grounds that

720-401: Is "But we bend our knees and bow down and express thanks". The Sefardic/Mizrahi tradition shortens this line to ואנחנוּ משׁתּחום— Va'anḥnu mištaḥavim —"But we bow down". The quotation in lines 18–21 is Deuteronomy 4:39. Aleinu is recited with all the congregants standing. One reason for this is because it is a declaration of faith that should be done with great fear and awe, but also that

810-428: Is also referred to in the journey Musa (Moses) took with him to find Khidr . And remember when Moses said to his young assistant, "I will never give up until I reach the junction of the two seas, even if I travel for ages". But when they finally reached the point where the seas met, they forgot their salted fish, and it made its way into the sea, slipping away wondrously. He replied, "Do you remember when we rested by

900-452: Is also the first part of the same verse, "Whoso keeps the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof". That "honor shall uphold the humble in spirit" is proved by Joshua's victory over Amalek . Not the sons of Moses —as Moses himself had expected—but Joshua was appointed as Moses' successor. Moses was shown how Joshua reproved that Othniel . "God would speak to Moses face to face, like someone would speak to his friend. Then he would return to

990-663: Is considered a type of Jesus Christ. The story of Joshua and the Canaanite kings is also alluded to in the 2 Meqabyan , a book considered canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church . Joshua ( Arabic : يُوشَعُ بْنُ نُونٍ , Yūšaʿ ibn Nūn [juːʃaʕ ibn nuːn] , is not mentioned by name in the Quran , but his name appears in other Islamic literature . In the Quranic account of

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1080-502: Is finished. Even after the controversial verse was deleted from the liturgy, owing to Christian censorship , the Ark was momentarily closed although nothing was recited at that moment, as a relic and reminder of the censored verse. Conservative Rabbi Reuven Hammer comments on the excised sentence: Originally the text read that God has not made us like the nations who "bow down to nothingness and vanity, and pray to an impotent god." ... In

1170-494: Is grouped with the other "warriors of the faith." Baroque composer Georg Frideric Handel composed the oratorio Joshua in 1747. Composer Franz Waxman composed an oratorio Joshua in 1959. Marc-Antoine Charpentier composed Josue (H.404 and H.404 a), an oratorio for soloists, double chorus, double orchestra and continuo, in 1680. According to legend, Mormon pioneers in the United States first referred to

1260-605: Is marked on the 26th of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar . Thousands make the pilgrimage to the Tomb of Joshua at Kifl Haris near Nablus , West Bank , on the preceding night. Yom HaAliyah ( Aliyah Day; Hebrew : יום העלייה ) is an Israeli national holiday celebrated annually on the tenth of the Hebrew month of Nisan , as per the opening clause of the Yom HaAliyah Law, as a Zionist celebration of "Jewish immigration to

1350-569: Is mentioned as Yusha' bin Nun and is the attendant to Moses during his meeting with Khidr . This hadith episode was used by scholars for the exegesis of Quran scripture chapter Al-Kahf about the journey of Moses. In the literary tradition of medieval Europe, Joshua is known as one of the Nine Worthies . In The Divine Comedy Joshua's spirit appears to Dante in the Heaven of Mars, where he

1440-583: Is not followed by the Mourner's Kaddish (because, variously, Aleinu was whispered to avoid antagonizing the Christian authorities, or because Aleinu is not a reading from Scripture), elsewhere it is. The Sefardic congregations that recite Kaddish afterward insert Psalm 27 immediately beforehand. Referring the lines above numbered 7 & 8: The earlier form of this prayer contains an additional sentence: For they worship vanity and emptiness, and pray to

1530-558: Is our duty to praise the Ruler of all, to recognise the greatness of the Creator of first things, who has chosen us from all peoples by giving us Torah. Therefore we bend low and submit." Reconstructionist Judaism changes the lines which refer to the chosen people to read, "who gave us teachings of truth and implanted eternal life within us." The opening of Aleinu is frequent site for liturgical creativity for authors of all stripes. Although

1620-529: Is recited, many have the custom to flex their knees and then bend from the waist, straightening up by the time the words "before ( lif'nei ) the King of kings of kings" are reached. But during the repetition on the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the worshipper will not merely flex and bend, but will actually get down on his knees at those words, and many congregants will prostrate themselves on

1710-639: Is salvation'), Jehoshua , or Josue , functioned as Moses ' assistant in the books of Exodus and Numbers , and later succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelite tribes in the Book of Joshua of the Hebrew Bible . His name was Hoshea ( הוֹשֵׁעַ ‎ Hōšēaʿ , ‍ lit. 'Save') the son of Nun , of the tribe of Ephraim , but Moses called him "Yehoshua" (translated as "Joshua" in English),

1800-657: Is the 13th century BCE which was a time of widespread city-destruction, but with a few exceptions ( Hazor , Lachish ) the destroyed cities are not the ones the Bible associates with Joshua, and the ones it does associate with him show little or no sign of even being occupied at the time. Given its lack of historicity, Carolyn Pressler in her commentary for the Westminster Bible Companion series suggests that readers of Joshua should give priority to its theological message ("what passages teach about God") and be aware of what these would have meant to audiences in

1890-713: The Hekhal ('sanctuary') among Sefardi communities. The name Aron Kodesh is a reference to the Ark of the Covenant , which was stored in the Holy of Holies in the inner sanctuaries of both the ancient Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem . Similarly, Hekhál ( הֵיכָל 'palace'; also written hechal , echal , heichal or Echal Kodesh —mainly among Balkan Sephardim) was used in

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1980-453: The yucca brevifolia agave plant as the Joshua tree because its branches reminded them of Joshua stretching his arms upward in supplication, guiding the travelers westward. Joshua is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of snake, Joshua's blind snake ( Trilepida joshuai ), the holotype of which was collected at Jericó, Antioquia , Colombia . The annual commemoration of Joshua's yahrtzeit (the anniversary of his death)

2070-535: The Bronze Age . According to Joshua 24:29 Joshua died at the age of 110. Joshua holds a position of respect among Muslims , who also see him as the leader of the faithful following the death of Moses. In Islam, it is also believed that Yusha bin Nun (Joshua) was the "attendant" of Moses mentioned in the Quran before Moses meets Khidr . Joshua plays a role in Islamic literature , with significant narration in

2160-572: The Hebrew root ישׁע ( y-š-ʿ ), meaning "to save/help/deliver". Other theophoric names sharing a similar meaning can also be found throughout the Hebrew Bible , such as that of the son of David אֱלִישׁוּעַ ( ʾĔlīšūaʿ ), whose name means "My El ( God ) is salvation". " Jesus " is the English derivative of the Greek transliteration of "Yehoshua" via Latin. In the Septuagint , all instances of

2250-464: The Kotel which is considered as a synagogue itself, this custom also exists). Originally, the scrolls were placed in moveable containers that were risen up. The more permanent placement of the ark was designed as the tribes settled and built temples. As early as 245 C.E. in the synagogue of Dura-Europos a slit within the holy wall (or wall facing Jerusalem ) was created for the ark. In ancient times,

2340-600: The Land of Canaan among the twelve tribes of Israel, planted sea squill ( Hebrew : חצוב ) to mark off the butts and bounds of tribal properties. Moreover, Joshua, on dividing the land of Canaan amongst the tribes of Israel, made the tribes agree to ten conditions, the most important of which being the common use of the forests as pasture for cattle, and the common right of fishing in the Sea of Tiberias . Natural springs were to be used for drinking and laundry by all tribes, although

2430-647: The Land of Israel as the basis for the existence of the State of Israel ", and secondarily "to mark the date of entry into the Land of Israel", i.e. to commemorate Joshua having led the Israelites across the Jordan River into the Land of Israel while carrying the Ark of the Covenant . According to a Samaritan tradition, noted in 1877, the tombs of Joshua and Caleb were in Kifl Haris. According to Joshua 24:30 ,

2520-516: The Talmud , Joshua in his book enumerated only those towns on the frontier. When he was "old and well advanced in years", Joshua convened the elders and chiefs of the Israelites and exhorted them to have no fellowship with the native population, because it could lead them to be unfaithful to God. At a general assembly of the clans at Shechem , he took leave of the people, admonishing them to be loyal to their God, who had been so mightily manifested in

2610-579: The Torah Ark is closed while Aleinu is recited, but on Rosh Hashana, when Aleinu is recited during the Mussaf Amidah, the Ark is opened when Aleinu is begun, closed momentarily when the controversial verse was recited (presumably to shield the Torah scrolls from hearing a description of heathen practices) and then opened again as soon as that verse was finished, and then closed again when Aleinu

2700-943: The Upper Galilee with the burial site of Joshua. Joshua is believed by some Muslims to be buried on Joshua's Hill in the Beykoz district of Istanbul . Alternative traditional sites for his tomb are situated in Israel (the Shia shrine at Al-Nabi Yusha' ), Jordan (An-Nabi Yusha' bin Noon, a Sunni shrine near the city of Al-Salt ), Iran (Historical cemetery of Takht e Foolad in Esfahan ) and Iraq (the Nabi Yusha' shrine of Baghdad ). A local tradition combining three versions of three different Yushas, including biblical Joshua, places

2790-607: The hadith . The English name "Joshua" is a rendering of the Hebrew Yehoshua , and is mostly interpreted as " Yahweh is salvation"; although others have also alternatively interpreted it as " Yahweh is lordly". The theophoric name appears to be constructed from a combination of the Tetragrammaton with the Hebrew noun יְשׁוּעָה ( Modern: yəšūʿa , Tiberian: yăšūʿā ), meaning "salvation"; derived from

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2880-467: The tomb of Joshua is in Timnath-heres , and Jewish tradition also places the tombs of Joshua's father, Nun, an his companion, Caleb , at that site, which is identified by Orthodox Jews with Kifl Haris. Thousands make the pilgrimage to the tombs on the annual commemoration of Joshua's death , 26th of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. It seems that old Jewish traditions once associated Meron in

2970-498: The 14th and 15th centuries, Spanish and German Jewish Hebrew texts depict a new design. These texts placed the scrolls inside the ark standing upright, decorated, and wrapped with the appropriate cloth and covers. A Sephardic synagogue based in Amsterdam (c.1675) contains a baroque style ark, which takes up the entire width of the central hub of the building. The Sephardic synagogue based as far north as London (c. 1701) adopted

3060-403: The 19th-century Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Leib Diskin ( Maharil Diskin , died 1898), have argued that the disputed phrase should be recited in communities that previously omitted it. In several communities, changes have been introduced, especially in the opening lines of the text, to make it less controversial and extreme in its appearance of ethnocentrism. In some instances these changes have taken

3150-634: The 22nd century BCE. Some alternate sites for Ai have been proposed which would partially resolve the discrepancy in dates, but these sites have not been widely accepted. In 1951 Kathleen Kenyon showed that City IV at Tell es-Sultan (Jericho) was destroyed at the end of the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2100–1550 BCE), not during the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550–1200 BCE). Kenyon argued that the early Israelite campaign could not be historically corroborated, but rather explained as an etiology of

3240-684: The Jews to draw a clear distinction between themselves, who knew and accepted the sovereignty of God, and those nations of the world which did not. In the modern era, religious Jews still pray the Aliyah inspired Aleinu three times daily, including on the High Holidays . The Aleinu prayer begins: It is our duty to praise the Master of all, to exalt the Creator of the Universe, who has not made us like

3330-664: The Jordan was the Battle of Jericho . Joshua led the destruction of Jericho , then moved on to Ai , a small neighboring city to the west. However, they were defeated with thirty-six Israelite deaths. The defeat was attributed to Achan taking an "accursed thing" from Jericho; and was followed by Achan and his family and animals being stoned to death to restore God's favor. Joshua then went to defeat Ai. The Israelites faced an alliance of five Amorite kings from Jerusalem , Hebron , Jarmuth , Lachish , and Eglon . At Gibeon , Joshua asked

3420-558: The L ORD to cause the Sun and Moon to stand still, so that he could finish the battle in daylight. According to the text, the Sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. This event is most notable because "There has been no day like it before or since, when the L ORD heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel." The L ORD also fought for the Israelites in this battle, for he hurled huge hailstones from

3510-500: The Messianic hope, and with this idea every service concludes." As a result of this censorship, a curious practice arose - it may have predated the censorship, but thereafter acquired encouragement as a form of resistance - that where the word "emptiness" occurred - or should have occurred - the individual was supposed to spit (on the floor), on the pretext that "emptiness" is very similar to the Hebrew word for "spittle". This practice

3600-548: The Middle Ages these words were censored, since the church believed they were an insult to Christianity. Omitting them tends to give the impression that the Aleinu teaches that we are both different and better than others. The actual intent is to say that we are thankful that God has enlightened us so that, unlike the pagans, we worship the true God and not idols. There is no inherent superiority in being Jewish, but we do assert

3690-537: The Near Eastern Late Bronze Age , although recent excavations at Jericho have questioned this. The story of the conquest perhaps represents the nationalist propaganda of the eighth century BCE kings of Judah and their claims to the territory of the Kingdom of Israel , incorporated into an early form of Joshua written late in the reign of king Josiah (reigned 640–609 BCE). The book

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3780-687: The Prophets and Kings that Joshua was one of the twelve spies, and Muslim scholars believe that the two believing spies referred to in the Quran are Joshua and Caleb. Joshua was exceptional among the Israelites for being one of the few faithful followers of Allah. Significant events from Joshua's Muslim narratives include the crossing of the Jordan river and the conquest of Bait al-Maqdis . The traditional Muslim scholastic commentaries has narrated

3870-636: The United States featured built-in arks in synagogues, such as the 1763 Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island , which was inspired by a trend of grandeur in architectural design. The United States Jewish community continued to favor the grand or classical design style until around 1840. In the mid-1800s the Moorish style synagogues influenced by the Oriental style became the latest fashion in synagogue design. The Oriental ark design included sliding doors and

3960-500: The [following] hadīth, 'The sun was never detained for any human, except for Joshua during those days in which he marched towards the Holy House [of Jerusalem]'." Muslim literature includes traditions of Joshua not found in the Hebrew Bible . Joshua is credited with being present at Moses's death and literature records that Moses's garments were with Joshua at the time of his departure. In Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim , Joshua

4050-576: The above text, which includes the censored verse, is taken from the 2009 Koren Sacks Siddur , edited by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (in that edition the censored verse is printed without any distinguishing marks), the 2007 4th edition of The Authorised Daily Prayer Book of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth , edited by the same Rabbi Sacks, omits the censored verse completely and without any indication that such

4140-551: The adoption of Aleinu into the daily liturgy. But Aleinu is already found at the end of the daily shacharit in Machzor Vitry in the early 12th century, well before 1171. The following is the first half of the current Ashkenazi version of the prayer (there is also a second paragraph, which some traditions omit, though it is a standard part of the Ashkenazi orthodox liturgy). The literal translation of line number 9

4230-435: The ark is open and the Torah is being moved to the reading table (or podium). However, there is no actual obligation (law) to remain standing when the ark is open, but it is a universally accepted custom. In addition to this custom is the custom to never turn ones back towards the ark even when leaving the sanctuary. Instead one must back out until they have left the vicinity of the ark, and only then can they turn their back (by

4320-642: The ark is the second holiest part of a synagogue after the Torah scrolls themselves. Customs call for the congregation when reciting key prayers (such as Avinu Malkeinu – "Our Father Our King", in many communities), to stand and face the ark, on fasting days, the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (also called the High Holidays), and for many piyyutim (poems, songs, etc.) recited during High Holy Day services. Many who partake in these customs consider it respectful to stand as long as

4410-405: The authorship, or at least the revising, of Aleinu . In Blois , France, in 1171, it is alleged that a number of Jews—reportedly 34 men and 17 women—were burned at the stake for refusing to renounce their faith. They are said to have gone to their deaths bravely singing Aleinu to a "soul-stirring" melody, which astonished their executioners. Some have suggested that this act of martyrdom inspired

4500-565: The camp. But his attendant, Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not leave the tent. Joshua never moved from the tent". Didn't Joshua leave the tent to eat, sleep or attend to his needs? This praise shows that Joshua had complete faith in Moses, the Tzaddik . One who has this faith is cognizant of the tzaddik in everything he does; he remains steadfastly with the tzaddik whatever he does. According to rabbinic tradition , Joshua, when dividing

4590-426: The cloth wrapped scrolls are believed to have been placed flat within a low wooden box. Historical records or discoveries point to a variety of exterior designs becoming popular within the Jewish culture of the time. Archeologists found early Torah arks within the Jewish catacombs in Rome decorated with Pompeian frescoes, paintings, and graffiti. Throughout Europe, in the Middle Ages , designs favored taller arks. In

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4680-425: The conclusion of weekday morning services. In some Ashkenazic communities, Aleinu is not recited at Mincha when it is followed immediately by Maariv, as this is not considered the end of the service. Furthermore, in the Italian and Yemenite rites, Aleinu is never recited in Mincha. In the daily and Sabbath services, when the line (numbered, above, as line 9, here translated literally) "But we bend our knees and bow"

4770-476: The conquest of Canaan, Joshua and Caleb are referenced, but not named, as two God-fearing men on whom God "had bestowed His grace". They said, "Moses, there is a fearsome people in this land. We will not go there until they leave. If they leave, then we will enter." Yet the two men whom God had blessed among those who were afraid said, "Go in to them through the gate and when you go in you will overcome them. If you are true believers, put your trust in God. Joshua

4860-411: The country" (i.e., "a period of tremendous violence"). He gives particular weight to what were then recent digs at Hazor by Yigael Yadin . In rabbinic literature Joshua is regarded as a faithful, humble, deserving, wise man. Biblical verses illustrative of these qualities and of their reward are applied to him. "He that waits on his master shall be honored" is construed as a reference to Joshua, as

4950-638: The design as mainstream. In this period, most synagogues in Europe were designed with the reading table (or podium) in the center of the building. The ark was placed on the Eastern wall, so the congregation would be facing Jerusalem when praying. During the 18th century, German synagogues incorporated a baroque style design. Decorative features such as pilasters , columns, and vases became a standard practice. Wood and stone carvers in Eastern Europe began to employ unique local craft designs in synagogue architecture. Folk art and animals were popular design features added to arks created during this period. Early designs in

5040-421: The doors of the ark ( Spanish and Portuguese and Moroccan or Sephardic custom). The parochet is an ornate cloth that resembles the same cloth that was once on the golden Ark. Both the aron kodesh and parochet are usually inscribed with verses from Judaic holy scripture . These inscriptions generally display the purity of the synagogue or the celebrated uniqueness of the scrolls placed within. Jewish law states

5130-448: The expression came from the Book of Isaiah, or that the whole prayer came from Joshua, and therefore must predate Christianity, or, if the prayer was attributed to Rav , living in 3rd-century Babylonia (Persia), that he never encountered a Christian.—It probably did not help that at roughly the same time a rabbinic commentary on the prayers, Arugat haBosem by Abraham ben Azriel, made the point that, in gematria , "vanity and emptiness" had

5220-450: The first and last letters of the prayer spell עד—"witness"—and it is appropriate for the praying person as a witness of god to stand when testifying. The original context of this prayer was as part of the middle paragraphs of the Amidah prayer in the mussaf (additional) service on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), and more specifically in the passage known as Malchuyot (the kingdom of God). In this context it includes both paragraphs of

5310-406: The floor (in those synagogues with sufficient floor space). In Orthodox and Conservative congregations, the Torah Ark remains closed while it is recited (except on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, when the Ark is opened), but in some Reform congregations the Ark is opened whenever Aleinu is recited. In most Sefardic congregations, as well as in the Askenazic traditions of Frankfurt and Mainz, Aleinu

5400-516: The form of less-than-literal translations of the traditional Hebrew into the local language. For example, in the Italian ritual, "they bow down" was changed to the past tense, "they used to bow down", and "vanity and emptiness" was changed to לאלילים—"idols", so the whole verse refers to ancient idol worship. There was, evidently, an experimental amendment to the preceding verse in one or more Sephardic prayerbooks: "... He has not made us like some nations of other countries ..." But this amendment

5490-434: The location and a representation of the Israelite settlement. In 1955, G. Ernest Wright discussed the correlation of archaeological data to the early Israelite campaigns, which he divided into three phases per the Book of Joshua. He pointed to two sets of archaeological findings that "seem to suggest that the biblical account is in general correct regarding the nature of the late thirteenth and twelfth-eleventh centuries in

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5580-402: The midst of them. As a witness of their promise to serve God, Joshua set up a great stone under an oak by the sanctuary of God. Soon afterward he died, at the age of 110, and was buried at Timnath-heres , in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. The prevailing scholarly view is that the Book of Joshua is not a factual account of historical events. The apparent setting of Joshua

5670-423: The miracle which shown by Joshua as a sign that he is a prophet in Islam . Ibn Kathir gave commentary of Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal Hadith that during the siege of Jerusalem, Yoshua prayed to God to withheld the sun until he won, which resulted in the day did not cease, and the sun only set after the Israelites under Joshua manage to capture the city. al-Jalalayn says, " Ahmad [b. Hanbal] reported in his Musnad,

5760-416: The mountain to re-create the tablets recording the Ten Commandments, Joshua was not present, as the biblical text states "no man shall come up with you". Later, Joshua was identified as one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore and report on the land of Canaan , and only he and Caleb gave an encouraging report, a reward for which would be that only these two of their entire generation would enter

5850-443: The name by which he is commonly known in English. According to the Bible, he was born in Egypt prior to the Exodus . The Hebrew Bible identifies Joshua as one of the twelve spies of Israel sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan . In Numbers 13:1 and after the death of Moses, he led the Israelite tribes in the conquest of Canaan, and allocated lands to the tribes. According to biblical chronology , Joshua lived some time in

5940-404: The nations of the world and has not placed us like the families of the earth, who has not designed our destiny to be like theirs, nor our lot like that of all their multitude. Most modern Bibles translate Hebrews 4:8–10 to identify Jesus as a better Joshua, as Joshua led Israel into the rest of Canaan , but Jesus leads the people of God into "God's rest". Among the early Church Fathers , Joshua

6030-428: The northern part of the Sinai Peninsula between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea , the southern part of Sinai where the Rea Sea splits into the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba , or the Bosporus in Istanbul which is a strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara . Joshua was regarded by some classical scholars as the prophetic successor to Moses ( موسى ) Al-Tabari relates in his History of

6120-400: The opinions of Isaac Luria , ruled that both paragraphs should be included in all services, and should end with the verse "on that day the Lord shall be one and His Name one". This has been accepted in almost all communities except for the Spanish and Portuguese Jews , who retain the "short Alenu". The custom according to some North African prayer books is to recite the second paragraph only at

6210-440: The prayer is evidenced by its explicit mention of bowing and kneeling—practices associated with the Temple, and its non-mention of exile or a desire to restore Israel or the Temple. On the other hand, it has been argued that the phrase: lirot meherah be-tiferet uzechah (to speedily see your tiferet and oz ) is in fact a request for the speedy rebuilding of the Temple. The allusion is based on Psalms 78:61 and 96:6. If so, at least

6300-410: The prayer. The first paragraph is also included at the equivalent point in the liturgy for Yom Kippur during the chazzan's repetition, but not during the silent prayer. In the Middle Ages varying customs emerged of reciting the first paragraph every day, at the end of either the morning service alone or of all the prayer services for the day. In the 16th century the kabbalist Hayim Vital , recording

6390-402: The promised land. According to Joshua 1:1, God appointed Joshua to succeed Moses as leader of the Israelites along with giving him a blessing of invincibility during his lifetime. The first part of the book of Joshua covers the period when he led the conquest of Canaan . At the Jordan River , the waters parted, as they had for Moses at the Red Sea . The first battle after the crossing of

6480-418: The rock? That is when I forgot the fish. None made me forget to mention this except Satan. And the fish made its way into the sea miraculously". Moses responded, "That is exactly what we were looking for". So they returned, retracing their footsteps. There they found a servant of Ours, to whom We had granted mercy from Us and enlightened with knowledge of Our Own. The narration collected by Bukhari reports that

6570-565: The same time period to refer to the inner sanctuary. The hekhal contained the Menorah , Altar of Incense and Table of the Showbread . In some ancient synagogues, such as the fifth-century synagogue in Susya , the Torah scroll was not placed inside the synagogue at all, but in a room adjacent to it, signifying that the sacredness of the synagogue does not come from the ark but from its being

6660-529: The same value as ישׁו ומחמט—"Jesus and Mohammed". As a result of this, in various places the Christian authorities censored the sentence, usually omitting it. Circa 1938, Herbert Lowe, the Reader in Rabbinics at Cambridge University, wrote: "No Jew who recites it ever thinks of it in relation to Christians: the chief thought in his mind is the noble conclusion. It is, in fact, a universalist pronouncement of

6750-576: The second paragraph of Aleinu was written after the destruction in 70 CE (perhaps around the time of Abba Arikha ). Its first appearance is the manuscript of the Rosh Hashana liturgy by the 3rd century Babylonian Talmudic sage Abba Arikha . He included it in the Rosh Hashana mussaf service as a prologue to the Kingship portion of the Amidah . For that reason some attribute to Arikha

6840-771: The second paragraph of the standard text of Aleinu today includes the phrase "le-taqen olam" לתקן עולם ( to fix the world ), some scholars suggest that the original text had "le-taken olam" לתכן עולם (spelled with a kaf, not a quf). The "kaf" reading is in the text of Siddur Rav Saadiah Gaon, in the Yemenite ritual, and in fragments from the Cairo Genizah. The verb t-q-n can mean to fix, repair, prepare, or establish; t-k-n would more strictly mean to establish. Joshua Joshua ( / ˈ dʒ ɒ ʃ u ə / ), also known as Yehoshua ( Hebrew : יְהוֹשֻׁעַ ‎ Yəhōšuaʿ , ‍ Tiberian: Yŏhōšuaʿ, lit. ' Yahweh

6930-506: The seventh and sixth centuries BCE. Richard Nelson explained that the needs of the centralised monarchy favoured a single story of origins, combining old traditions of an exodus from Egypt , belief in a national god as "divine warrior," and explanations for ruined cities, social stratification and ethnic groups, and contemporary tribes. It has been argued that the Book of Joshua holds little historical value. The archaeological evidence shows that Jericho and Ai were not occupied in

7020-595: The sky which killed more Canaanites than those which the Israelites slaughtered. From there on, Joshua was able to lead the Israelites to several victories, securing much of the land of Canaan. He presided over the Israelite gatherings at Gilgal and Shiloh which allocated land to the tribes of Israel (Joshua 14:1–5 and 18:1–10), and the Israelites rewarded him with the Ephraimite city of Timnath-heres or Timnath-serah, where he settled (Joshua 19:50). According to

7110-577: The superiority of monotheistic belief over paganism. Although paganism still exists today, we are no longer the only ones to have a belief in one God. In 1656, Manasseh ben Israel reported that the Sultan Selim (presumably Selim II, 1524–74), having read the uncensored text of Aleinu in Turkish translation, declared: "Truly this prayer is sufficient for all purposes. There is no need of any other." Some Orthodox rabbinical authorities , prominently

7200-716: The tomb inside a cave in the Tripoli Mountains, overlooking the coastal town of el-Minyieh near Tripoli, Lebanon . Torah Ark A Torah ark (also known as the hekhal , Hebrew : היכל , or aron qodesh , אֲרוֹן קׄדֶש ) is an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls . The ark is also known as the ark of law , or in Hebrew the Aron Kodesh ( אָרוֹן קׄדֶש ) or aron ha-Kodesh ('holy ark') in Ashkenazi communities and as

7290-423: The tribe to which the water course fell had the first rights. Prickly burnet ( Sarcopoterium spinosum ) and the camelthorn ( Alhagi maurorum ) could be freely collected as firewood by any member of any tribe, in any tribal territory. According to Jewish religious tradition, upon making Aliyah by crossing the Jordan River to enter the Land of Israel , Joshua composed the Aleinu prayer thanking God. This idea

7380-639: The word "Yehoshua" are rendered as " Ἰησοῦς " (Iēsûs), the closest Greek pronunciation of the Imperial Aramaic : יֵשׁוּעַ Yēšūaʿ . Thus, in modern Greek, Joshua is called "Jesus son of Naue" ( τοῦ Ναυή , tû Nauḗ ) to differentiate him from Jesus . This is also true in some Slavic languages following the Eastern Orthodox tradition (e.g. " Иисус Навин ", Iisús Navín , in Bulgarian, Serbian and Russian, but not Czech). Joshua

7470-652: Was a major figure in the events of the Exodus. He was charged by Moses with selecting and commanding a militia group for their first battle after exiting Egypt, against the Amalekites in Rephidim , in which they were victorious. He later accompanied Moses when he ascended biblical Mount Sinai to commune with God, visualize God's plan for the Israelite tabernacle , and receive the Ten Commandments . Joshua

7560-595: Was abandoned. The past tense formulation ("worshipped" and "bowed down") appears in the translation in the London Sephardic prayer books, though the Hebrew retains the present tense. More far-reaching changes have been made to the wording of this prayer in Conservative and Reform prayer books. For example, the British Reform version borrows words from the blessings over the Torah, and begins "It

7650-462: Was ever prosecuted for violating this edict. In some other places, the practice of spitting persisted (or at least was remembered), and there arose a Yiddish expression for someone arriving very late for services (perhaps just to recite the Mourners' Kaddish , which follows Aleinu ), "He arrives at the spitting" ( קומען צום אױסשפּײַען kumen tsum oysshpayen ). In the daily synagogue services,

7740-638: Was first cited in the Kol Bo of the late 14th Century. Several medieval commentators noticed that Joshua's shorter birth name, Hosea, appears in the first few verses of Aleinu in reverse acrostic: ע – עלינו, ש – שלא שם, ו – ואנחנו כורעים, ה – הוא אלוקינו. The Teshuvot HaGeonim, a Geonic responsum, discussed that Joshua composed the Aleinu because although the Israelites had made Aliyah to the Promised Land , they were surrounded by other peoples, and he wanted

7830-620: Was mentioned by the early 15th century. When, for example, the accusations about this verse were revived in Prussia in 1703, the government (in Berlin) enacted that the controversial verse should be omitted altogether and that spitting or recoiling was forbidden and that the prayer would be recited aloud "in unison" by the whole congregation (to make sure nobody was surreptitiously reciting the verse) and that government inspectors would be posted in synagogues to ensure compliance. Apparently no one

7920-565: Was omitted in most of the older printed Ashkenazi prayer books. In some older editions of other rites (e.g., the Maḥzor Aram Soba , 1560, as well as some editions of the Ashkenazic prayer book) a blank line was left in the printing, leaving it free for the missing line to be filled in handwriting. In many current Orthodox Jewish siddurim (prayer books) this line has been restored, and the practice of reciting it has increased. Although

8010-595: Was probably revised and completed after the fall of Jerusalem to the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 586 BCE, and possibly after the return from the Babylonian exile in 538 BCE. In the 1930s Martin Noth made a sweeping criticism of the usefulness of the Book of Joshua for history. Noth was a student of Albrecht Alt , who emphasized form criticism and the importance of etiology . Alt and Noth posited

8100-501: Was with Moses when he descended from the mountain, heard the Israelites' celebrations around the Golden Calf , and broke the tablets bearing the words of the commandments. Similarly, in the narrative which refers to Moses being able to speak with God in his tent of meeting outside the camp, Joshua is seen as custodian of the tent ('tabernacle of meeting') when Moses returned to the Israelite encampment. However, when Moses returned to

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