Joshua's long day. 



125 



people had been purged from the trespass, another attack was 

 planned r.^^ain t Ai. On this occasion quite different tactics 

 were ado; ted. A pretended attack was prepared, in which the 

 greater pa,:t of the whole available force was employed ; but 

 first a large army was despatched by a circuitous route to take up 

 a position on the further side of Ai, or, as the narrative expressly 

 tells us, " to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai on the west 

 side of Ai." Later Joshua himself, with the elders of Israel and 

 the main army, approached Ai from the north. From this point, 

 however, they could not easily approach the city, for there was a 

 valley between them and Ai. Joshua now sent a second expedi- 

 tion of about 5000 men to establish a connection with his first 

 detachment, and when this operation had been successfully 

 carried out, Joshua led the main army under cover of night into 

 the middle of the ravine on the north side of Ai. 



With the return of daylight the King of Ai perceived that an 

 attack was threatened, and at once he offered battle. Joshua, 

 on his part, ordered his men to retreat hurriedly in the direction 

 of the wilderness. The men of Ai, believing that the Israelites 

 were again panic-stricken and that the victory was already gained, 

 pursued the Israelites eagerly, and the whole population, not of 

 Ai alone, but also of Bethel, a town distant from Ai some 1-| 

 miles, took part in the pursuit. Then Joshua stretched out the 

 spear which he had in his hand. The 5000 connecting troops 

 passed on the intelligence and the Israelities in ambush rushed 

 upon the empty city and set it on fire. The main army of the 

 Israelites turned on their pursuers, caught them in the open and 

 overwhelmed them, while the ambushes,. emerging from the 

 burning town, took them in the rear. Joshua's enveloping 

 tactics were completely successful, even as Allenby's were in 

 the late war. 



And now the military operations were again suspended for 

 a time. The nation had to be solemnly dedicated to God, and 

 to take the oath of fidelity to the Law upon the mountains of 

 Ebal and Gerizim. The march thither must have occupied 

 several days, and tlie date on which that supreme dedication 

 was to take place was without doubt the anniversary of the 

 giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, that is to say, was the Day of 

 Pentecost, seven weeks from the morrow after the Sabbath of 

 the week of Unleavened Bread. 



This solemn ceremony ended, the nation of Israel returned to 

 the camp of Gilgal, their way thither being opened, because Ai, 



