What did the “sun standing still” mean to an ancient audience?

In Joshua 10, the Bible describes one of its most debated moments—a battle where the sun and moon appear to stop in the sky. But before asking how this happened, this episode asks a more foundational question: how would an ancient reader have understood this text?

In this episode of the Buried Bible Podcast, Dr. Mark Chavalas explores Joshua 10:1–15 by first rebuilding the ancient historical, literary, and cultural world behind the passage. Rather than jumping straight to modern scientific questions, Mark situates the story within ancient warfare, political alliances, royal annals, poetry, and omen language common across the ancient Near East.This episode focuses on background and setup, laying the groundwork for understanding why Joshua 10 was written the way it was—and how ancient readers would have heard it.

🔥 In This Episode

- Why the Book of Joshua reads like ancient military annals

- The political world of Canaanite city-states and alliances

- The role of Gibeon and the five Amorite kings- Why ancient battles often included poetic and cosmic language

- How hailstones, night marches, and victory reports fit ancient war literature- Why the Book of Jasher is mentioned—and why it matters

📚 Key References & Sources Mentioned

Biblical Texts:Joshua 9–10Judges (comparative narrative patterns)

Jeremiah 34 (treaty and oath parallels)

Ancient Near Eastern Sources:T

he Amarna Letters (14th century BC international correspondence)– William L. Moran, The Amarna Letters

Ancient Egyptian, Hittite, and Assyrian royal annals

Ancient Near Eastern omen and celestial literature

Archaeology & Background StudiesJames B. Pritchard, Gibeon: Where the Sun Stood Still

Archaeological data on Canaanite fortified cities (Jerusalem, Lachish, Hebron)

💬 Let’s Talk in the Comments:Do you read Joshua 10 as literal cosmic stoppage, poetic battle language, or something else? What’s your biggest question about the “sun stood still” passage?

🎥 Like, Subscribe & Share if you want more Bible passages explored through the lens of the ancient Near East.We’ll see you next time on the Buried Bible Podcast—because the real payoff of Joshua 10 is still

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