Joshua chapter 5

After reading chapter 5:

*After the Amorite and Canaanite kings heard about the crossing of the Jordan, they were afraid of the Israelites. At this time Yahweh ordered Joshua to circumcise all the men in the camp. Apparently, none of them had been circumcised during the forty years wandering in the desert. The author of Joshua has not forgotten that the fathers of the current Israelite soldiers, who apparently had been circumcised, were all dead. They had been the ones who were told they would not enter the promised land because of disobedience.  So, Joshua circumcised about 600,000 men, more if the boys were included. With handmade flint knives, no less. This was done at Gibeath Haaraloth, which means "Hill of Foreskins." Yahweh said this event "rolled away" the reproach of Egypt, whatever that means. God doesn't like foreskins? The men remained in the camp until they had healed. I feel sorry for the women who had to endure that day.  This would have been the perfect time for their enemies to attack them.

*A few days later, on the 14th day  of the first month, the Israelites celebrated passover. Back in Exodus chapter 12 we see that circumcision was a requirement for all males eating the passover. I guess the Israelites did not celebrate Passover while wandering in the desert. The day after Passover, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain, products of that land. From that time on, the manna ceased. I wonder where they got the unleavened bread and grain, enough to feed over a million people every day. It doesn't just appear on the ground. Grain has to be grown, harvested, threshed, stored, ground into flour, etc. It would have to have been purchased or stolen, by the women. The men were out of commission.

*Sometime after this, Joshua has an  encounter with the commander of Yahweh's army, (God has an army?) near Jericho. He appeared in front of Joshua holding a sword, looking very much like man, because Joshua said,"friend or foe?" The Angel (?) said, " neither." Then he told Joshua to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. We can't have shoes touching holy ground, can we? This, of course, is reminiscent of Moses's encounter with the burning bush. Notice that neither Joshua nor Moses had witnesses to these events, so we have to take their word for it. Or the word of the people telling the stories, who got their info who-knows-how-many-times removed from the supposed events.