Joshua 13–21
The Tribal Allotments of Israel
The animated map above follows the order in which Joshua records the distribution of the Promised Land. Each colored region is added as the corresponding inheritance is described, allowing the long account to be seen as one unfolding story.
Where the animation came from
The animation was made from the historical map The Tribal Allotments of Israel from Knowing the Bible. The underlying map includes the region’s geography, boundaries, cities, and labels; its topography is credited to the USGS. The visible attribution in the animation has been retained. The source map’s terms allow personal, teaching, and non-commercial reproduction when its copyright remains attached.
How it corresponds to Joshua
Joshua 13 begins by identifying land that remained to be possessed, then recalls the territories already given east of the Jordan by Moses. Chapters 14–19 describe the western allotments, first for Judah and Joseph’s descendants and then for the remaining tribes. Joshua 18 describes the gathering at Shiloh and the survey of the remaining land. Chapter 20 records the cities of refuge, and chapter 21 gives the Levites’ cities before concluding with the fulfillment statement: “Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:45).
The chapters behind each step
- Reuben Joshua 13:15–23
The inheritance east of the Jordan is described first.
- Gad Joshua 13:24–28
Gad receives the central Transjordan territory.
- Half-Manasseh (East) Joshua 13:29–31
The eastern half-tribe receives land north of Gad.
- Judah Joshua 15
Caleb’s inheritance at Hebron is introduced before Judah’s boundaries are listed.
- Ephraim Joshua 16
The descendants of Joseph receive their territory west of the Jordan.
- Half-Manasseh (West) Joshua 17
The other half of Manasseh receives its western inheritance.
- Benjamin Joshua 18:11–28
After the survey at Shiloh, Benjamin is the first of the remaining tribes assigned land.
- Simeon Joshua 19:1–9
Simeon’s towns are within Judah’s larger territory.
- Zebulun Joshua 19:10–16
The northern allotments continue with Zebulun.
- Issachar Joshua 19:17–23
Issachar receives the region around the Valley of Jezreel.
- Asher Joshua 19:24–31
Asher receives territory along the northern coast.
- Naphtali Joshua 19:32–39
Naphtali receives land around the Sea of Galilee and the northern valleys.
- Dan Joshua 19:40–48
Dan’s initial allotment is followed by the account of its later move to Leshem in verse 47.
The wider conclusion
The colored additions stop with the tribal allotments, but the story continues through the rest of Joshua 19–21. The people still had responsibilities to fulfill, cities of refuge were set apart, and the Levites received their cities. The animation compresses chapters of detailed description into seconds, while the text reminds us that God’s promises are fulfilled faithfully and in his appointed order—one step at a time.