“And the LORD said unto Joshua: Fear not, neither be dismayed. Take all the
people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand
the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.”
Joshua 8 records the rematch between the Jews and Ai, a battle that resulted in the Hebrew’s sounding
victory over them. As this chapter’s lead verse spells out, God had communicated news to Joshua of the
impending military win. “See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai…”
Abravanel relates to the campaign’s two ambushes. Joshua completely caught the enemy off guard,
including capturing the king. “And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.” What
transpired next piqued Abravanel’s curiosity. “And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until the eventide;
and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they took his carcass down from the tree,
and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised thereon a great heap of stones, unto this
day.”
Why, Abravanel questions, did Joshua hang the king? Similarly, he asks why did the Jewish leader string
up other Canaanite kings after being apprehended (See Joshua 10.)? Put differently, why was that
particular method of capital punishment utilized, and not other forms of execution such as stoning etc.?
Finally, if Joshua deemed hanging the appropriate form of death penalty, why was the corpse cut down
at sunset – and buried? In sum, Abravanel queries, given this modus operandi of Joshua, it behooves
Bible students to get to the bottom of it.
To begin with, Abravanel teaches, it is a rarity to capture kings alive. If a monarch senses a military
setback, he flees. Alternatively, defeated kings die on the battlefield. Thus, when Joshua understood
that Ai’s king had been taken into custody, he mulled his options. “And the king of Ai he hanged on a
tree.” The spectacle of a lifeless and dangling king at the end of a rope could be viewed from afar. On
the one hand, such a sight would bring joy the Jews. As for the enemy, the gruesome exhibition would
greatly weaken their resolve, owing to the sobering sight of seeing the leader’s fate as one generally
reserved for lowlifes.
“And the king of Ai he hanged…and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they took his
carcass down…and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised thereon a great heap of
stones…” Abravanel reminds readers that the Torah commands Jews to bury the dead before sunset, in
order to avoid polluting the land (Deuteronomy 28). In this vein, Joshua illustrated sensitivity to the
land, regardless of the corpse’s creed or nationality. Simply stated, Abravanel posits, unburied bodies
pollute the land.
Abravanel’s comments go further, conveying a fundamental truth about mankind, generally. In
comparison to animals, man rates more intricate, refined, or superior. When a man dies, therefore, his
corpse is more odious than the carcass of an animal. In addition, human putrefaction occurs at a quicker
clip than that of animals. This state of affairs points to greater imbalance or disequilibrium post death;
the contrast between life and death for man is more pronounced and precipitous than the life/death
change for animals.
Returning to an earlier verse talking about Ai’s king fate, Abravanel explains why the Hebrews “raised
thereon a great heap of stones…” It marked the city-state king’s sepulcher. In a not-so-subtle message
to the other Canaanite chieftains, Ai’s death and burial spot will sow dread in their hearts, frightening
them out of their wits. Predictably, in that agitated mindset, putting up a fight against Joshua and his
warriors would prove feeble, not to mention a losing cause.