A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

alliance, they appear to have been major cities of that era. When they made their attack on the
city of Gibeon, the men of Gibeon knew they needed the help of their newfound allies.
Joshua answered the call for assistance from Gibeon by fast-marching his army by night
and surprising the enemy by his sudden appearance. The surprise appearance of the army of
Israel caused the merged army against Gibeon to retreat. But their retreat was hindered by a freak
storm of hailstones. Because of the unique geography of the region, sudden and severe freak
hailstorms with large hailstones are not uncommon. This storm actually killed more of the enemy
than the Hebrew soldiers had killed (Josh. 10:11).
As the sun began to set in the west, Joshua knew he was running out of time. He asked
God to extend the day so that he could continue fighting and finish the battle. At Joshua’s
command, “the sun stood still, and the moon stopped till the people had revenge upon their
enemies ... about a whole day” (v. 13). This most unusual miracle has been the subject of much
controversy and speculation.
Some have suggested the miracle was caused by refracted light and that the earth
continued its rotation and orbit but the night remained as bright as day. Others have suggested
the phenomenon was the result of a comet which came too close to the earth’s orbit and refracted
light, or may have even struck the earth, stopping its rotation. Others suggest the rotation of the
earth actually did cease for a period of about a day by the hand of God.
Though there have been persistent rumors of the discovery of Joshua’s lost day by
sophisticated N.A.S.A. computers, N.A.S.A. has not made such a claim. It is questionable if
such a discovery could be made by computer technology as computers can only compute data
they have been given. But there may be some evidence from the ‘Western hemisphere that the
effects of Joshua’s long day were felt halfway around the world.
According to the ancient Mexican Annals of Cuauhtitlan also known as Codex
Chimalpopoca, there was a time in Mexican history when “the night did not end for a very long
time.” This tradition was also uncovered by Bernardino de Sahagun (1499-1590), a Spaniard
who collected the traditions of the aboriginal peoples of Central America. According to his published
report, the people of Central America remembered a time when “the sun rose only a little
way over the horizon and remained there without moving; the moon also stood still.”
Joshua was successful in his efforts against the alliance against Gibeon. Though the kings
escaped initially, they were captured and killed. In a series of battles following the long day,
Joshua conquered Makkedah (10:28), Libnah (v. 29), Lachish (v. 31), Gezer (v. 33), Eglon (v.
34), Hebron (v. 36), and Debir (v. 38). In doing so, he secured the southern cities of Canaan for
the possession of Israel and defeated the Amorites.