The book of Joshua stands between the Pentateuch and the story of Israel in its land. It recounts the familiar traditions of the conquest of Canaan, and details the portions of territory allotted to the tribes. But how is the book of Joshua to be related to the neighbouring biblical books? To what extent does it contain history?-or geography?-or theology? How should it be understood in the light of archaeological discoveries, or recent studies of the emergence of Israel? How might it read as piece of literature? This study guide offers an introduction to the contents of the book and a survey of the scholarly views about nature and purpose. The key to understanding the book should be sought not so much in the field of history as of theology.