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The Samaritan Book of Joshua is a Samaritan chronicle so called because the greater part of it is devoted to the history of Joshua. It is extant in two divergent recensions, one in Samaritan Hebrew and the other in Arabic.〔 "The work is extant in both Hebrew and Arabic, each version having a different content."〕 The editio princeps published an Arabic manuscript written in the Samaritan alphabet, with a Latin translation and a long preface by T. W. Juynboll (Leyden, 1848). The Samaritan Hebrew version was published in 1908 by Moses Gaster. Though based on the Hebrew canonical Book of Joshua, it differs greatly from the latter in both form and content and the Samaritans ascribe no canonical authority to it. The author, who was of a much later period, amplified the Biblical narratives by weaving into them legends of a later date and developing the narratives themselves, at the same time altering certain statements in accordance with Samaritan views on history. Alterations that emphasize the Samaritan belief in the sanctity of Mount Gerizim, the site of the Samaritan temple, appear throughout the text; for example, an expanded Joshua 9:27 calls Gerizim "the chosen place" and a description of the temple being built there follows the conclusion of the conquest of Canaan.〔(Hjelm 2000, p. 241 ).〕 It is divided into fifty chapters, and contains, after the account of Joshua, a brief description of the period following Joshua, agreeing to that extent with the Book of Judges. Then follow histories of Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, and the revolt against Hadrian; it ends with an incomplete account of Baba Rabba. ==Contents== *Ch. i.: The author claims to have translated the following narratives from the Hebrew. *Ch. ii.: Moses appoints Joshua as his successor, investing him with royal power. *Ch. iii.: Account of Balaam and the King of Moab (comp. Num. xxii. 2-41). *Ch. iv.: Balaam advises the King of Moab to draw the Israelites into lust and thus cause their destruction (comp. Num. R. xx. 23). *Ch. v.: Moses sends Joshua and Phinehas to the war with the Midianites (comp. Num. xxxi. 2 et seq.). Following the account of the fall of Jericho (Josh. vi.), the author relates that the walls of Midian's stronghold fell at the blast of the trumpets. Balaam, found in the Midianite temple speechless from terror, was killed by the soldiers in spite of Joshua's desire to take him alive before Moses. *Ch. vi.-viii.: Moses' death; his testament; the mourning of the Israelites over him. *Ch. ix.-xii. (written in the same strain as the first chapter of the canonical Book of Joshua): Joshua's activity; his organization of the army and preparations for the invasion of Canaan. *Ch. xiii.: The sending of the spies to Jericho. Imitating the Biblical account of the Gibeonites (comp. Josh. ix. 4 et seq.), the writer says that the spies, who knew several languages, disguised themselves as travelers, telling those they met that, having heard of the exploits of Joshua, they had come from a distant land for the sake of further information about him. At Jericho, suspected of being spies, they hid themselves in the house of Rahab. The remainder of the chapter follows the canonical version. *Ch. xiv.-xvii.: The Israelites cross the Jordan River (as in Josh. iii.); Joshua's song, an imitation of the song of Moses in Ex. xv. 1-19; account of the fall of Jericho. *Ch. xviii.: Achan is discovered to have taken possession of some of the accursed things. Here the account differs from that in Josh. vii.; there is no mention of the Israelites being defeated at Ai; but the gem in the high priest's breastplate that bore the name of Judah having become dim, it was known that one of that tribe had sinned. The wedge of gold stolen by Achan is said to have weighed 2,250 shekels. *Ch. xix.: An account of the Gibeonites, similar to that in Josh. ix.,except that only three Gibeonite cities are mentioned, Chephirah being omitted. *Ch. xx.-xxiii.: The continuation of the war and the partition of the land. Joshua sends surveyors to divide the land into ten parts, assigning to the Levites forty-eight cities, which are to be taken from the other tribes. Joshua dismisses the two and a half tribes whose allotment was east of the Jordan, appointing Nabih ("Nobah" in Num. xxxii. 42), son of Gilead, king over them; they number 110,580. *Ch. xxiv.: The surveyors having returned, Joshua assigns to the tribes their respective lots. He then founds the city of Samaria and builds a temple on Mount Gerizim (comp. Josh. viii. 30). *Ch. xxv.: Description of the prosperous state of the Israelites after the partition of the land, over which peace reigns for twenty years. *Ch. xxvi.-xxxvii. give a long account of the war between Joshua and the league formed by Shaubak (Shobach), King of Persia. Shaubak, desiring to avenge the death of his father, Hammam, who has been killed in battle with the Israelites, enters into a league with all the neighboring kings, who decide to wage war with Joshua. Shaubak first sends an ambassador with a minatory letter to Joshua, who thereupon consults the assembly as to the steps to be taken. The ambassador is amazed at the splendor with which Joshua is surrounded and at the dignity and order with which Joshua administers justice. He returns with Joshua's answer, that the Israelites are prepared for the war, and attempts to dissuade Shaubak from his design. Shaubak, however, encouraged by his mother and by the Magi, marches to the war with an immense army. Joshua, arrived with his army at 'Ayalon, one of the enemy's cities, is enclosed by seven iron walls, called into existence by magic. At Joshua's prayer a dove appears, and by it he sends a letter to Nabih, who marches with a great army against Shaubak. The latter is defeated. At the shouting of Nabih's soldiers the walls about Joshua disappear. *Ch. xxxviii.-xliii.: After a reign of forty-five years Joshua dies, and is buried at Kafar Ghawirah (comp. Josh. xxiv. 30); account of his appointment of his successors and of the prosperous state of Israel during the ensuing period of 260 years—the "days of satisfaction" ("ayyam al-ridha" or "yeme ha-ratzon"). For the original legend concerning Shaubak, see Sotah viii. 1, 42b, with reference to II Sam. x. 16, 18. *Ch. xliv. contains an account of the division under Eli and of the period of sin ("aldhalal" or "fanuta"). Ch. xlv.-l. give accounts of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Mausil (Mosul), Alexander the Great, the revolt against Hadrian, the high priests 'Aqbon and Nathanael, and Baba Rabba. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Book of Joshua (Samaritan)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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