דמותו של יהושע במקורות היהודיים של תקופת הבית השני

The article analyzes references to Joshua in Qumranic texts, apocryphal and pseudepigraphal literature, as well as Jewish texts written in Greek. Although not a prominent figure in Qumran sources, Joshua is central in at least one composition, the so-called Apocryphon of Joshua (4Q378-379), in which he is portrayed as the servant of Moses and as a prophet who predicts future events, in connection with Josh. 6:26.
4Q522 also emphasizes Joshua's prophetic ability, but at the same time criticizes it, due to Joshua's inability to foresee that the Gibeonites would deceive the children of Israel (according to Josh. 9). Moreover, the text strongly underscores Joshua's subordinate position vis-a-vis the priest Eleazar: the will of God is made known through the Urim and Tummim rather than through direct revelation to Joshua. With regard to the issue of prophecy, and insofar as the fragmentary remnants of both texts allow any definitive conclusions, it is doubtful that 4Q522 is another copy of the Apocryphon of Joshua.
In the other Jewish texts from the Second Temple period (up to the end of the first century C.E.), Joshua is generally a minor figure, mentioned only in passing. The only exceptions are the writings of Josephus and the LAB. Moreover, the only texts that describe or designate Joshua as a prophet are Eupolemus' book On the Prophecy of Elijah (summarized by Polyhistor and quoted by Eusebius); Josephus' Jewish Antiquities (which, however, does not mention any prophecy apart from the arai or curses referred to in Josh. 6:26); and the LAB (which, however, does not call Joshua a prophet, and explicitly states that the people had to turn to Eleazar in order to know the will of God, through the Urim). On the whole, one may conclude that, as compared to biblical and other Hellenistic-Roman Jewish texts, the Qumran ones place greater emphasis on the issue of prophecy. As noted, however, in 4Q522 the assessment of Joshua's prophetical skills is not without reservations.