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Achan (biblical figure)

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296:, and others, maintain that the stoning (Josh. vii. 25) was inflicted only on the beasts, and that the sons and daughters were brought there merely to witness and be warned. This seems to be the opinion also of the rabbis in the Talmud (see Rashi on Sanh. 44a), although they say that the wife and the children were accessories to the crime, in so far as they knew of it and kept silent. According to another and apparently much older rabbinical tradition, Achan's crime had many aggravating features. He had seen in Jericho an idol endowed with magic powers, with a tongue of gold, the costly mantle spread upon it, the silver presents before it. By taking this idol he caused the death, before the city of Ai, of thirty-six righteous men of Israel, members of the high court. When Joshua, through the twelve precious stones of the high priest's breastplate, learned who was the culprit, he resorted to the severest measures of punishment, inflicting death by stoning and by fire both on him and his children, in spite of Deut. xxiv. 16; for these had known of the crime and had not at once told the chiefs of the hidden idol. They thus brought death upon more than half the members of the high court (see Pirḳe R. El. xxxviii.; Tan., Wa-yesheb, ed. 1863, p. 43). Another view expressed by the rabbis is that Achan committed incest, or violatedthe Sabbath, or was otherwise guilty of a five-fold crime. This view is based upon the fivefold use of the word ("also," "even") in Josh. vii. 11 ("They have also transgressed my covenant," etc.), as well as upon his own confession: "Thus and thus have I done" (Josh. vii. 20). Achan is held up by the rabbis as a model of the penitent sinner; because his public confession and subsequent punishment saved him from eternal doom in 300:. "Every culprit before he is to meet his penalty of death," says the Mishnah Sanh. vi. 2, "is told to make a public confession, in order to be saved from Gehenna's doom." Thus Achan confessed to all his sins when he said: "Of a truth I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and thus and thus I have done." That his avowal saved him from eternal doom may be learned from Joshua's words to Achan: "Why hast thou troubled us? So may the Lord trouble you this day," which are taken to mean "in the life that now is, so that thou mayest be released in the life to come" (Sanh. 43b-44; see also Ḳimḥi on Josh. v. 25).' 655: 532: 627: 38: 152:, Achan pillaged an ingot of gold, a quantity of silver, and a "beautiful Babylonian garment" from Jericho, in contravention of Joshua's directive that "all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord" ( 179:“‘In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord chooses shall come forward clan by clan; the clan the Lord chooses shall come forward family by family; and the family the Lord chooses shall come forward man by man. Whoever is caught with the 196:
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever
175:) to decide who was to blame, and having identified Achan, they stoned him, along with his children and livestock, to death. Their remains were burnt by the Israelites, according to the text, and stones piled on top. Yahweh's anger against Israel later subsided. 255:
It is not certain, however, that the whole Achor narrative dates from this time, as textual critics believe that the Achor narrative may have been spliced together from two earlier source texts; the words in the first part of Joshua 7:25, "all Israel stoned
280:באבנים). The repetition, the switching from "him" to "them", and switching of the Hebrew verb for "to stone", indicate that this story may be an amalgam from two different sources. 576: 668: 691: 240:; (from Shinar) the time of the Israelite invasion is usually dated to the 15th or 12th century BC, but between 1595 BCE and 627 BCE 696: 214:
The narrative states that the location for this punishment of Achan, which lies between Jericho and Ai, became known as the
183:, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done an outrageous thing in Israel!’” 595: 268:) show a different style and tradition from those at the end of the verse: "and they burned them in fire, and they stoned 673: 137: 188: 701: 645: 550: 202: 180: 153: 164: 91: 31: 664: 160: 248:
believe that this part of the Achor narrative was written during the 7th century BC or later, but many
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believe the judge Samuel may have put together this account from historical books from that time.
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by God, in that they failed in their first attempt to capture Ai, with about 36 Israelites lost (
640: 572: 249: 245: 566: 222: 172: 58: 82: 636: 545: 541: 537: 226: 110: 106: 45: 685: 659: 631: 236:
One item to note however is that the text describes the garment that Achor stole as
114: 233:, at the point in the narrative where the vale of Achor is necessarily crossed. 122: 293: 168: 17: 159:
The Book of Joshua claims that this act resulted in the Israelites being
149: 630: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the 37: 297: 241: 118: 658: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the 327: 289: 217: 102: 36: 64: 70: 101:), the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri, the son of 73: 67: 96: 61: 27:Biblical character (Joshua 7); executed by stoning 221:in memory of him. This narrative is probably an 677:(New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons. 244:was under foreign rule. For this reason, a few 194: 177: 554:. Vol. 1. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. 8: 181:devoted things shall be destroyed by fire 571:. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 33. 518: 498: 492: 486: 479: 477: 474: 468: 462: 460: 458: 452: 445: 443: 440: 438: 435: 433: 430: 428: 425: 377: 335: 326: 324: 322: 320: 318: 316: 314: 312: 310: 148:According to the narrative of Joshua 7: 590: 588: 526: 524: 522: 86: 25: 639:; et al., eds. (1901–1906). 109:, is a figure who appears in the 653: 649:. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. 625: 530: 57: 272:with stones" (וישרפו אתם באש וי 117:in connection with the fall of 1: 144:Account in the Book of Joshua 568:The A to Z of Ancient Israel 565:Niels Peter Lemche (2010). 97: 718: 692:People executed by stoning 29: 674:Easton's Bible Dictionary 490: 488: 466: 464: 456: 454: 419: 417: 415: 409: 407: 405: 399: 397: 395: 389: 387: 385: 375: 371: 369: 367: 365: 363: 361: 359: 353: 351: 349: 347: 345: 343: 341: 30:Not to be confused with 646:The Jewish Encyclopedia 551:The Jewish Encyclopedia 167:). The Israelites used 665:Easton, Matthew George 548:; et al. (eds.). 207: 193: 49: 32:Akan (biblical figure) 697:Book of Joshua people 600:Encyclopaedia Judaica 288:The Jewish exegetes, 161:collectively punished 128:His name is given as 40: 42:The Stoning of Achan 612:Jewish Encyclopedia 50: 578:978-0-8108-7565-4 507: 506: 250:Biblical scholars 171:(the sacred Lots 95: 16:(Redirected from 709: 678: 657: 656: 650: 629: 628: 613: 610: 604: 603: 592: 583: 582: 562: 556: 555: 534: 533: 528: 308: 307: 260:with stones" (וי 246:textual scholars 223:etiological myth 205: 191: 173:Urim and Thummim 138:1 Chronicles 2:7 121:and conquest of 100: 90: 88: 80: 79: 76: 75: 72: 69: 66: 63: 21: 717: 716: 712: 711: 710: 708: 707: 706: 682: 681: 663: 654: 637:Singer, Isidore 635: 626: 622: 617: 616: 611: 607: 594: 593: 586: 579: 564: 563: 559: 546:Singer, Isidore 538:Ginzberg, Louis 536: 531: 529: 520: 515: 509: 306: 286: 212: 206: 201: 192: 187: 146: 60: 56: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 715: 713: 705: 704: 702:Tribe of Judah 699: 694: 684: 683: 680: 679: 651: 621: 618: 615: 614: 605: 584: 577: 557: 517: 516: 514: 511: 505: 503: 502: 496: 494: 493: 491: 489: 487: 484: 482: 481: 478: 476: 472: 470: 469: 467: 465: 463: 461: 459: 457: 455: 453: 450: 448: 447: 444: 442: 439: 437: 434: 432: 429: 427: 423: 422: 420: 418: 416: 414: 412: 410: 408: 406: 404: 402: 400: 398: 396: 394: 392: 390: 388: 386: 384: 382: 379: 378: 376: 374: 372: 370: 368: 366: 364: 362: 360: 358: 356: 354: 352: 350: 348: 346: 344: 342: 340: 338: 336: 333: 331: 330: 325: 323: 321: 319: 317: 315: 313: 311: 305: 302: 285: 282: 227:folk etymology 211: 210:Interpretation 208: 199: 189:Joshua 7:14–15 185: 145: 142: 111:Book of Joshua 107:tribe of Judah 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 714: 703: 700: 698: 695: 693: 690: 689: 687: 676: 675: 670: 666: 661: 660:public domain 652: 648: 647: 642: 638: 633: 632:public domain 624: 623: 619: 609: 606: 601: 597: 591: 589: 585: 580: 574: 570: 569: 561: 558: 553: 552: 547: 543: 539: 527: 525: 523: 519: 512: 510: 504: 501: 497: 495: 485: 483: 473: 471: 451: 449: 424: 421: 413: 411: 403: 401: 393: 391: 383: 381: 380: 373: 357: 355: 339: 337: 334: 332: 329: 309: 303: 301: 299: 295: 291: 283: 281: 279: 275: 271: 267: 263: 259: 253: 251: 247: 243: 239: 234: 232: 228: 224: 220: 219: 209: 204: 198: 190: 184: 182: 176: 174: 170: 166: 162: 157: 155: 151: 143: 141: 139: 135: 131: 126: 124: 120: 116: 112: 108: 104: 99: 93: 84: 78: 54: 47: 43: 39: 33: 19: 18:Achan (Bible) 672: 644: 608: 599: 567: 560: 549: 508: 499: 287: 277: 273: 269: 265: 261: 257: 254: 237: 235: 230: 225:providing a 215: 213: 195: 178: 158: 147: 133: 129: 127: 115:Hebrew Bible 52: 51: 41: 304:Family tree 203:Joshua 7:26 154:Joshua 6:19 46:Gustav Doré 686:Categories 620:References 294:Gersonides 238:Babylonish 169:cleromancy 165:Joshua 7:5 667:(1897). " 150:chapter 7 105:, of the 92:romanized 540:(1901). 284:Rabbinic 216:vale of 200:—  186:—  132:(עָכָר֙ 662::  641:"Achan" 634::  596:"Achan" 542:"Achan" 480:Azariah 298:Gehenna 242:Babylon 119:Jericho 113:in the 94::  575:  535:  441:Calcol 83:Hebrew 669:Achan 544:. In 513:Notes 500:Achan 475:Carmi 446:Darda 436:Heman 431:Ethan 426:Zabdi 328:Zerah 290:Rashi 231:Achor 218:Achor 197:since 136:) in 134:‘Āḵār 130:Achar 103:Zerah 98:‘Āḵān 87:עָכָן 53:Achan 573:ISBN 276:ו את 270:them 264:ו את 229:for 671:". 274:סקל 262:רגמ 258:him 156:). 44:by 688:: 643:. 598:. 587:^ 521:^ 292:, 140:. 125:. 123:Ai 89:, 85:: 81:; 65:eɪ 602:. 581:. 278:ם 266:ו 77:/ 74:n 71:æ 68:k 62:ˈ 59:/ 55:( 48:. 34:. 20:)

Index

Achan (Bible)
Akan (biblical figure)

Gustav Doré
/ˈkæn/
Hebrew
romanized
Zerah
tribe of Judah
Book of Joshua
Hebrew Bible
Jericho
Ai
1 Chronicles 2:7
chapter 7
Joshua 6:19
collectively punished
Joshua 7:5
cleromancy
Urim and Thummim
devoted things shall be destroyed by fire
Joshua 7:14–15
Joshua 7:26
Achor
etiological myth
folk etymology
Babylon
textual scholars
Biblical scholars
Rashi

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