The Development of Biblical Prayer - Jewish Bible Quarterly

perpetrators, took place during Israel's conquest of the Promised Land, as
related in the Book of Joshua, Chapter 9.
GIBEONITES FEAR ANNIHILATION BY ISRAELITES
The ancient city of Gibeon was located about six miles northwest of Jerusalem.
It was apparently the capital of four cities inhabited by a people called Hivites,
one of the seven tribes occupying the Promised Land. These cities were
strategically located and controlled the access to Jerusalem and the roads to the
Judean mountains.
The Gibeonites, like the other tribes and kingdoms confronting the advancing
Israelites, were aware of the spectacular victories achieved by Joshua and his
forces, of the conquest of the Amorites and the capture and destruction of the
cities of Jericho and Ai. They knew that they were in the immediate path of the
advancing Israelites and were likely to suffer the same fate of annihilation. But
unlike other people of Canaan who, facing the Israelites, united to fight Joshua
and his forces, the Gibeonites decided on a scheme of deception. They used an
ingenious disguise in order to save themselves and to trick the Israelites into
making peace with them. This is recounted in the Bible as follows:
And it came to pass, when all the kings that were beyond the Jordan ....
heard thereof... that they gathered themselves together to fight with
Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. But when the inhabitants of
Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, they also did
work wilily ...
GIBEONITES AWARE OF DIVINE PROMISE OF CANAAN TO ISRAEL
Joshua 9:1-4
As the Gibeonites subsequently told Joshua (9 :24), they were aware of the
Divine promise of the lands of Canaan to Israel, and the command to destroy
their inhabitants:
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When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goes/ to
possess it, and shall cast out many nations before thee, . . . greater and
mightier than thou; . . . and thou shalt smite them; then thou shalt utterly