This document is about Joshua (Man of Beth Shemesh). For other homonyms, please refer to the Joshua document. In the time of Samuel, the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and during that time, many plagues from God afflicted the Philistines. So they returned the Ark, carried by two nursing cows, and it arrived at the house of Joshua, a man of Beth Shemesh. The people there looked into the Ark and were struck by the Lord, and 57,000 people died, so out of fear, they sent the Ark to Kiriath-jearim.
1 Samuel 6:7and take Yahweh’s ark and lay it on the cart. Put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a box by its side; and send it away, that it may go.1 Samuel 6:8Behold, if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us. It was a chance that happened to us.”1 Samuel 6:9The men did so, and took two milk cows and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.1 Samuel 6:10They put Yahweh’s ark on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors.1 Samuel 6:11The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.1 Samuel 6:12The people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.1 Samuel 6:13The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there, where there was a great stone. Then they split the wood of the cart and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to Yahweh.1 Samuel 6:14The Levites took down Yahweh’s ark and the box that was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone; and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to Yahweh.1 Samuel 6:15When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.1 Samuel 6:16These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to Yahweh: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;1 Samuel 6:17and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even to the great stone on which they set down Yahweh’s ark. That stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.1 Samuel 6:18He struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into Yahweh’s ark, he struck fifty thousand seventy of the men. Then the people mourned, because Yahweh had struck the people with a great slaughter.1 Samuel 6:19The men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before Yahweh, this holy God? To whom shall he go up from us?”1 Samuel 6:20They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back Yahweh’s ark. Come down and bring it up to yourselves.”1 Samuel 6:21They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back Yahweh’s ark. Come down and bring it up to yourselves.”