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324 forsake thee ... Only be thou strong and steadfast in observ- ing to act according to all the teachings which Moses my servant commanded thee—turn not to the right or to the left." Thus begins the Book of Joshua, with a reiteration of the Divine Promise on the one hand and of the required absolute adherence to Yahweh's commandments on the other hand. And right away Joshua, recognizing that the former depended on the latter, realized that it would be the latter that would be the problem. As in the time of Moses, divine assistance in the form of miracles was provided the new leader to make the double point: Though unseen, Yahweh was omnipresent as well as omnipotent. The very first obstacle facing the Israelites who had journeyed up the east side of the Jordan was how to cross the river westward; the time was soon after the rainy season and the river's waters were high and _ overflowing. Reassuring the people that "Yahweh will show you won- ders," he told them to sanctify themselves and be ready for the crossing, for Yahweh had directed him to have the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant step into the river; and lo and behold, the moment the priests' feet touched the waters, the Jordan's waters flowing down from the north froze and were held back as a wall, and the Israelites crossed over on the river's dried bed. And when the priests carrying the Ark crossed over as well, the piled-up waters collapsed and the river was filled again with water. "By this shall ye know that a living God is among you," Joshua announced—proof that though unseen, He is present, He is powerful, He can perform miracles. The miracles in- deed did not cease; the one of the Jordan's crossing was soon followed by the appearance of the Angel of Yahweh with the instructions for the toppling of the walls of Jericho, and the use of Joshua's lance the way the staff of Moses was held— this time for the miraculous defeat of the mountain fortress of Ai. Next came the miraculous defeat of an alliance of Canaanite kings in the Valley of Ajalon, when the sun stood still and did not set for some twenty hours. "And it came to pass after a long time, after Yahweh had given rest unto Israel from all their surrounding enemies, that Joshua waxed old and aged"; thus begins the end of the DIVINE ENCOUNTERS