Psalms 4Q-47 - Joshua

This scroll of the Book of Psalms was found in Cave no. 4, and is dated to the Second - First Century BCE.

The Book of Joshua is named after its hero, Joshua bin-Nun, leader of the People of Israel and conqueror of the Land of Israel. He succeeded Moses who was the first to lead the Jewish people for many years, unifying them and forming their identity as a nation.

Upon entry to the Land of Israel, Joshua - the new leader of the nation, had to transform the collective consciousness of these nomads into that of soldiers fighting for the promised land, in order to settle and live in it. Thus a different kind of leadership was needed. Joshua, Moses' "attendant" was chosen to continue in his footsteps, to lead the campaign and conquer the land.

This scroll is the earliest copy in existence of the Book of Joshua and parallels, with some differences to chapters 5 to 10 in the Massorah - the traditional biblical version in use until today.

The passages deal with the conquest of Jericho, Achan's transgression, the conquest of the Ai, the construction of the altar, and the reading of the Torah in the presence of the nation.

The full name of "Joshua bin-Nun is clearly seen in the second column to the right, at the beginning of the second row and in other places throughout the scroll.