Superphysics
The 12 Stones
3 minutes • 500 words
1 After all the people had crossed over the Jordan river, Enki told Joshua:
2 Take 12 men out of the people, out of every tribe a man. 3 Tell them to take out of the middle of the Jordan river, where the priests’ feet stood firm, 12 stones.
4 So Joshua called the 12 men:
5 Go back to the ark of Enki in the middle of the Jordan river. Each one takes a stone on his shoulder.
6 In the future, your children will ask you what these stones mean. 7 Reply that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Enki. These stones shall be for a memorial to the Israelites forever.
8 The Israelites did so as Joshua commanded, and took up 12 stones out of the middle of the Jordan river, as Enki said.
9 Joshua set up 12 stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
10 The priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
11 After the people had crossed over, the ark also crossed over with the priests, in the presence of the people.
12 The children of Reuben and of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the Israelites, as Moses spake unto them
13 Around 40,000 prepared for war passed over before Enki unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day, Enki magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel. They feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15-16 [To Joshua:] Command the priests that bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of Jordan.
17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, Come you up out of Jordan.
18 When those priests got out of the Jordan river onto dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as before.
19 And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20 Joshua put the 12 stones in Gilgal.
21 To the People: When your children ask their fathers what these stones mean, 22} tell them that Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. 23} For Enki dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until you were passed over, as the Enki did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: 24} That all the people of the earth might know the hand of Enki, that it [is] mighty: that you might fear Enki forever.
