Joe: Alright, so what do you got for us this time?

Bible Expert: Well, Joe, in chapter 22 of the book of Joshua, the Israelites had just recently crossed the Jordan river and were about to settle in the new land which God had promised them. Before they did that, they decided to build an altar of witness on the eastern side of the river as a symbol of their covenant with God.

Joe: Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean by an altar of witness?

Bible Expert: It was an altar made of stones, and it was a symbol of the relationship between the Israelites and God.

Joe: Interesting. Go on.

Bible Expert: So after they finished building the altar, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh decided to stay on the eastern side of the river, while the other tribes continued on to the promised land. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh wanted to build a massive wall around their settlement and asked the other tribes for help, but the other tribes refused, so the three tribes built the wall on their own.

Joe: Whoa, that's pretty impressive.

Jamie: Joe, I just Googled it and apparently the wall was about 9 miles long and 8 feet high.

Joe: Wow, that's really something.

Bible Expert: Yeah, and when the other tribes saw the wall, they thought that the three tribes were breaking the covenant and disobeying God, so they sent a delegation to confront them. After a long discussion, the other tribes realized that the three tribes were not trying to break the covenant, but instead were just trying to protect their families and properties.

Joe: What a relief. So, did they all make up in the end?

Bible Expert: Yes, in the end, the three tribes agreed to keep the covenant and the other tribes accepted their explanation. And that's the end of chapter 22.