Have you ever heard a story that felt... familiar, yet strangely different? A tale echoing ancient myths, but with a distinctly Jewish heart? Let's dive into one such story, a fascinating legend about Joshua – yes, that Joshua, the one who followed Moses and led the Israelites into the Promised Land.
Now, we all know Joshua as a great leader, a warrior, a successor to Moses. But what if his origins were shrouded in a myth mirroring some of the most famous stories in history?
According to Hibbur me-ha Yeshu'ah, Joshua's father was a Tzaddik, a holy man, living in Egypt. He and his wife longed for a child, and God answered their prayers. But here's the twist: while his wife was pregnant, the heavens revealed a terrifying prophecy to the Tzaddik – his son would one day cut off his head! Understandably distraught, the holy man spent his days in mourning.
His wife, confused by his sorrow, urged him to rejoice in God's blessing. Finally, he revealed the grim prophecy. When Joshua was born, his mother, in a desperate attempt to avert fate, placed him in an ark coated with pitch and slime, just like Moses, and set him adrift on the Nile (Exodus 2:3-6).
But the story doesn't end there. Like Jonah being swallowed by a whale (Jonah 2:1), God orchestrated another miraculous event. A giant fish swallowed the ark. It so happened that the king was holding a feast, and that very fish was caught and brought before him. Imagine the shock when they cut it open and found a weeping child!
The king, amazed, ordered that the child be nursed and raised in the palace. Joshua grew up to become a guardsman. Years later, fate took a cruel turn. Joshua’s father was accused of transgressing against the king. The king commanded his guardsman – Joshua himself – to execute him, take his wife, and inherit his property. This, apparently, was the custom of the land.
And so, Joshua, unknowingly, carried out the horrifying deed. But when he approached his mother, something extraordinary happened. Milk began to flow from her breasts, soaking the bed. Fearing witchcraft, Joshua was about to kill her, but she cried out, revealing the truth. "This is not sorcery! This milk is the milk you suckled! You are my son!" She then recounted the prophecy and the events that led to him being set adrift.
Talk about a plot twist!
Joshua then revealed his own story – being found in the belly of a fish, never knowing his true parents. In that moment, they both realized the terrible truth: the prophecy had been fulfilled.
This story bears an uncanny resemblance to the Greek myth of Oedipus, who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother. But here's where the Jewish version takes a different turn, one filled with hope and redemption.
Consumed by guilt and remorse, Joshua repented his sins. And, crucially, his repentance was accepted by God. He went on to serve Moses, and ultimately, to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land after Moses' death.
As Louis Ginzberg recounts in Legends of the Jews, this remarkable tale offers a Jewish response to the tragedy of Oedipus. While Oedipus ends his story in despair, blinding himself, Joshua finds forgiveness and purpose. As we find in Midrash Rabbah, no sin is beyond repentance. Joshua, redeemed, leads his people with clear vision, a stark contrast to the blind Oedipus.
Some scholars, like Howard Schwartz in Tree of Souls, suggest that this myth might have been inspired by the name of Joshua's father, "Nun," which is the Aramaic word for "fish." It seems this imaginative myth was crafted to give Joshua a grand, mythic origin, elevating him as a worthy successor to Moses, a leader with an equally extraordinary beginning.
It’s a powerful reminder that even when fate seems to have dealt us an impossible hand, repentance and redemption are always within reach. The story of Joshua, as told in this legend, isn't just a retelling of ancient myths; it's a testament to the enduring power of forgiveness and the boundless capacity of the human spirit to overcome even the darkest of circumstances.