Et is an altar built by the people of the Reubenite tribe, the Gadite tribe, and the half-tribe of Manasseh by the Jordan River during the conquest of Canaan. Originally, altars for offering sacrifices to God were only to be made before the Ark of the Covenant. However, when settling in Canaan, the three tribes mentioned above established their residences on the east side of the Jordan River, while the remaining tribes resided on the west side of the Jordan River, making it physically difficult for them to go and offer sacrifices. Therefore, to avoid being separated from the people of Israel over time, these three tribes built this altar called Et to demonstrate that they too were God's people. This altar did not perform any sacrificial functions but was used only as a symbolic testimony.
Joshua 22:9When they came to the region near the Jordan), that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.Joshua 22:10The children of Israel) heard this, “Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar along the border of the land of Canaan, in the region around the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the children of Israel.”Joshua 22:11When the children of Israel) heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up against them to war.Joshua 22:12The children of Israel sent to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest.Joshua 22:13With him were ten princes, one prince of a fathers’ house for each of the tribes of Israel); and they were each head of their fathers’ houses among the thousands of Israel.Joshua 22:14They came to the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,Joshua 22:15“The whole congregation of Yahweh says, ‘What trespass is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away today from following Yahweh, in that you have built yourselves an altar, to rebel today against Yahweh?Joshua 22:16Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although there came a plague on the congregation of Yahweh,Joshua 22:17that you must turn away today from following Yahweh? It will be, since you rebel today against Yahweh, that tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.Joshua 22:18However, if the land of your possession is unclean, then pass over to the land of the possession of Yahweh, in which Yahweh’s tabernacle dwells, and take possession among us; but don’t rebel against Yahweh, nor rebel against us, in building an altar other than Yahweh our God’s altar.Joshua 22:19Didn’t Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the devoted thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? That man didn’t perish alone in his iniquity.’ ”Joshua 22:20Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered, and spoke to the heads of the thousands of Israel,Joshua 22:21“The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, the Mighty One, God, Yahweh, he knows; and Israel shall know: if it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against Yahweh (don’t save us today),Joshua 22:22that we have built us an altar to turn away from following Yahweh; or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings, let Yahweh himself require it.Joshua 22:23“If we have not out of concern done this, and for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your children might speak to our children, saying, “What have you to do with Yahweh, the God of Israel?Joshua 22:24For Yahweh has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no portion in Yahweh.” ’ So your children might make our children cease from fearing Yahweh.Joshua 22:25“Therefore we said, ‘Let’s now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice;Joshua 22:26but it will be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we may perform the service of Yahweh before him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings;’ that your children may not tell our children in time to come, ‘You have no portion in Yahweh.’Joshua 22:27“Therefore we said, ‘It shall be, when they tell us or our generations this in time to come, that we shall say, “Behold the pattern of Yahweh’s altar, which our fathers made, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice; but it is a witness between us and you.” ’Joshua 22:28“Far be it from us that we should rebel against Yahweh, and turn away today from following Yahweh, to build an altar for burnt offering, for meal offering, or for sacrifice, besides Yahweh our God’s altar that is before his tabernacle!”Joshua 22:29When Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them well.Joshua 22:30Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, “Today we know that Yahweh is among us, because you have not committed this trespass against Yahweh. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of Yahweh’s hand.”Joshua 22:31Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben, and from the children of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.Joshua 22:32The thing pleased the children of Israel); and the children of Israel blessed God, and spoke no more of going up against them to war, to destroy the land in which the children of Reuben and the children of Gad lived.Joshua 22:33The children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar “A Witness Between Us that Yahweh is God.”Joshua 22:34The children of Reuben and the children of Gad named the altar “A Witness Between Us that Yahweh is God.”