This course offers an in-depth exploration of critical literary, theological, and historical issues in the study of Joshua and Judges. Special attention will be given to the translation and interpretation of these texts in Hebrew. In addition, we will explore how these texts and the many difficult issues they raise concerning violence, holy war, the portrayal of outsiders, and the treatment of women can be read in light of the contextual concerns of the church today, including feminist/womanist, African-American, and postcolonial perspectives. In this sense, the course doubles as both an exercise in Hebrew exegesis and introduction to contextual hermeneutics. Prerequisite: B505 Hebrew.