Joe: So, what's the deal with Joshua 21?

Bible Expert: Well, it's all about the Levites and their portion of the Promised Land. After the Israelites conquered the land, it was divided up among the different tribes of Israel. The Levites didn't get any land, but they were given 48 cities, plus their surrounding pastureland.

Joe: Wait, the Levites were given cities instead of land?

Bible Expert: That's right. The cities were spread out throughout the Promised Land, so they were able to be close to all the other tribes. And the Levites were given the responsibility of maintaining the tabernacle and offering sacrifices at the tabernacle.

Joe: Interesting. So what happened next?

Bible Expert: Well, the Lord instructed the Israelites to give six of the cities to the Levites as cities of refuge. These cities were places where people could go and seek safety if they had accidentally killed someone.

Joe: Wow, that's really cool. So what else?

Bible Expert: Well, the rest of the cities were divided up among the tribes. Each tribe got an equal number of cities, with the exception of the tribe of Levi. They got the extra cities because they didn't get any land.

Joe: So that's it?

Bible Expert: That's it! That's the end of the story of the division of the Promised Land.