person · P0002

Yehoshua יהושע בן נון

Moshe's attendant and successor. Led Israel into the Land, and carried the Torah from Moshe to the Elders — the second link in the chain of transmission.

I. Who

Hebrew
יהושע בן נון
Also known as
Yehoshua bin Nun, Joshua
Era
bible
Received the mesorah from
Moshe
Transmitted the mesorah to
Pinchas, Zekenim (the Elders)

II. When

Traditional
2406–2516 AM
Lifespan (traditional)
≈110 years
Precision
approximate

V. How do we know

ClaimEvidenceConfidenceSources
Yehoshua received the Torah from Moshe and transmitted it to the Elders (Zekenim). rabbinic ★★★★★
Died at 110 years old and was buried at Timnat Serach in the hill country of Ephraim.
Confidence is for what the biblical text states.
biblical ★★★★★
At Mount Ebal, Yehoshua built an altar, wrote a copy of the Torah on stones, and read all the words of the Torah — blessing and curse — before the full assembly, including women, children, and resident aliens.
Directly stated in the cited source.
biblical ★★★★★
The Bavli attributes authorship of the Book of Yehoshua, and according to one formulation the final eight verses of the Torah, to Yehoshua.
The same sugya records disagreement over who wrote the final Torah verses; the attribution to Yehoshua is one stated position.
rabbinic tradition ★★★★☆
Yehoshua was the son of Nun and represented the tribe of Ephraim among the twelve scouts. biblical ★★★★★
His earlier name was Hoshea; Moshe changed it to Yehoshua. biblical ★★★★★
After Moshe's death, Yehoshua was formally charged to lead Israel across the Jordan. biblical ★★★★★
Traditional dates 2406–2516 AM per Seder Olam reckoning.
Schematic traditional dating.
tradition reconstruction ★★☆☆☆
Moshe ordained Yehoshua by laying his hands on him at God's command — "lay your hand upon him... and he laid his hands upon him and commissioned him" — and Devarim adds that "Yehoshua bin Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moshe had laid his hands upon him." This is the opening act of classical semicha, the chain of judicial ordination the atlas tracks separately from mesorah reception.
Explicit in both verses ("vesamachta et yadecha alav"; "vayismoch et yadav alav"); the Rambam reads them as the founding ordination.
biblical ★★★★★