In contrast, the New Oxford Annotated Bible asserts, “The book should not be read as straightforward history—it telescopes and simplifies what was a long and complex process of occupation of the land by the Israelite tribes […] the book’s presentation of reality does not necessarily reflect the course of events […] Consequently, archaeological excavations, together with sociological and anthropological analyses, must be used alongside the book to understand the early history of Israel in the land.” See K. Lawson Younger, Jr., “Joshua,” in Michael D. Coogan, ed., The New Oxford Annotated Bible, 5th ed. (New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2018), p. 322.