After Moses died Joshua led the people of Israel. They had come very near to the land God had made ready for them, but there was still the great river Jordan to cross. They did not know how to get across, for the water was deep and they had no boats. But God had a way for them. He told Joshua to have the priests of his Tabernacle go into the water first and stand there. As soon as the feet of the priests touched the water it stopped flowing from above and piled up in a great heap. So the people went across the Jordan on dry land. After the priests left the river, the water flowed just as it had before. [Illustration: CROSSING THE JORDAN.] THE CAPTAIN OF THE LORD’S HOST. When the Canaanites heard how the Israelites had crossed the Jordan, they were afraid and shut themselves up in their city, Jericho. The Israelites had to find some way to break into the city. One day when Joshua was walking near the wall of Jericho, he saw a man with a drawn sword in his hand. He at once asked the man whether he was a friend or an enemy. The man answered: “As captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.” Then Joshua knew it was an angel and fell down and worshiped him. The angel said: “Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy.” Joshua did so. [Illustration: THE CAPTAIN OF THE LORD’S HOST.] HOW JERICHO WAS CAPTURED. The Israelites took Jericho in a very curious way. Every day for six days the armed men marched around the city once. On the seventh day they marched around seven times, while the priests blew their trumpets. Just as they finished the last march, the trumpets gave a long blast and all the people together gave a mighty shout. Then that strong, high wall fell down flat, and they went in and took the city and burnt it and everything in it except the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron. The rest of the people of Canaan were greatly surprised when they heard how Jericho was captured. [Illustration: THE FALL OF JERICHO.] ACHAN’S SIN. Ai was a city not far from Jericho. Three thousand Israelites went to take it. But some were killed and the rest got frightened and ran away. Joshua felt so badly that he went and told God all about it. God said that the Israelites had been beaten because one of them had kept for his own some of the silver and gold taken from Jericho. God pointed out that Achan was the man who had stolen these things and that he had hidden them in his tent. When they looked in the tent they found them buried in the ground. Achan and all his family and all that he had were stoned and burned and a great heap of stones raised over them as a warning. [Illustration: ACHAN CONFESSING HIS SIN.] THE ALTAR ON MOUNT EBAL.