After conferring with the Lord and dealing with the sin of Achan the Israelites are back on track and return to conquering the Promised Land. Joshua uses an attack with a quick withdrawal to pull the Canaanite troops out of Ai. The fleeing Israeli troops lead the pursuing Canaanites into an ambush where they are cut down and the city of Ai is set on fire. Israel had learned another lesson concerning vanity of sin.

The phrase “heap of ruins” is the translation of the Hebrew word tel. This word tel is still used to refer to the mounds of the remains of ancient cities throughout the land of Israel. Thus, tel Dan refers to the remains of the ancient city of Dan, or “the ruins of Dan.” The same is true of archaeological sites such as tel Arad, tel Hazor, tel Beersheva, etc. The Bible records cities that had been rebuilt with names like Tel Abib in Ezekiel 3:15 and Tel Melah and Tel Harsha in Ezra 2:59.

Ai, or tel, “the ruins,” was never rebuilt up until the time of the recording of these events, and may have never been rebuilt. Archaeologists are still trying to accurately identify the location of this city of Ai. There are a couple of suggestions that include today’s et-Tell or under today’s village of Deir Dibwan which is southeast of et-Tell.

The king of Ai was killed and his body impaled on a tree for all to see while his city burned. To be hung on a tree after death was an expression of being cursed by God according to Deuteronomy 21:22-23, but this corpse could not be left on a tree overnight. So, the corpse of the king, or chief, of Ai was taken down, thrown in the rubble of the city gate and covered over with a pile of stones. The story of the battle of Ai ends with Achan, an Israelite who sinned, buried under a pile of rocks and a Canaanite king under a pile of rocks. The point is clear: God does not show favoritism! Israel is chosen, but they will be rejected just like the Canaanites if they live in sin and disobedience.

“If you say that the history of the Church is a long succession of scandals, you are telling the truth, though if that is all you say, you are distorting the truth.”
– Gerald Vann

10 People Raised from Dead
(Including Jesus who was resurrected, not just a restored to the physical body that would eventually die again)
1. The widow’s son
(1 Kg.17:17-24)
2. Shunammite woman’s son (2 Kg.4:32-37)
3. Man thrown on Elisha’s bones (2 Kg.13:20-21)
4. Son of the widow at Nain (Lk.7:11-15)
5. Jairus’ daughter (Lk.8:41)
6. Lazarus (John 11:1-44)
7. Many people at Jesus’ death (Mt.27:52-53)
8. Jesus (Matthew 28:1-8)
9. Tabitha (Acts 9:36-43)
10. Eutychus (Acts 20:9-10)