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if Ephraim was doing any better than he. Making a lunge for an overhanging branch, he caught hold. Reaching up, he got a better grip and looked back. Ephraim was still standing on the far bank.

    “Come on!” Salmon called to him.

    Ephraim entered the river with obvious uneasiness. Stretching out his arms, he went in face first. Seeing how fast Ephraim was swept along, Salmon stretched out his body as far as possible so that his friend could reach his ankle. “Grab hold!”

    Ephraim succeeded, but the jolt almost yanked Salmon free. His body swung hard around and jerked against the strong pull of the river. Water rippled violently over Ephraim’s head. Clinging to the branch with one hand, Salmon reached down and grasped Ephraim and pulled. “Climb!” Ephraim reached up, his fingers biting into Salmon’s thigh. Pulling himself higher, his head emerged from the rushing water. He gasped for breath. Salmon grabbed Ephraim’s belt and hauled him up farther. Salmon shoved him toward the west bank.

    When he made it to shore, Ephraim reached out and gave Salmon a hand and threw himself back as far as he could before the limb broke and toppled into the water. Gaining his footing in the rocky bottom, Salmon slogged his way out of the Jordan and collapsed to his knees. Ephraim was coughing violently.

    Chest heaving, Salmon drank in the air. He dug his fingers into the soil and held it up to breathe in the scent of its richness. “The Lord has brought us over,” he said in a voice choked with emotion. They were the first of their generation to set foot in the Promised Land. “The Lord be praised!”

    Ephraim was still coughing up murky river water, but he managed to rasp, “May God grant we live long enough to enjoy it.”

    “Amen.” Salmon rose. “It won’t be long until daybreak.” He was eager for the mission ahead, anxious to be on the move, but it wouldn’t be wise to arrive wet and muddy from the river—or too early in the day, making them appear anxious to enter the city. Hunkering down by the Jordan, he washed. “If we hurry, we can make it to the palms before full daylight.”

    “Just give me a few minutes to rest, will you?”

    “We’ve no time to waste. Rest while we walk!”

    As they crossed the arid stretch of land west of the Jordan and gained the road, the sun rose behind them. Even from a distance of several miles, the lush green spring-fed oasis was visible, as were the high, thick walls of the City of Palms that blocked entrance into Canaan. Salmon’s heart sank. These walls were so immense, they would be insurmountable by frontal attack. Nor could they be taken from the west, for behind the walled city was a towering backbone of steep, jagged mountains. “The city is well situated.”

    “And impregnable. How will we ever conquer such a city? Never has there been such a stronghold!”

    Speechless, Salmon studied the walls. They were at least six times the height of any man, and there were battlements on both sides of the gate. Guards standing watch would see an army coming from miles away, giving them plenty of time to close the gates and prepare for battle.

    Would Joshua have them build ladders to scale these walls? How many would die in setting them up and keeping them in place until enough soldiers could get over the wall? Could those immense gates be smashed or burned? How many would die in the battle for this city? Thousands! Would he be one of them—if he didn’t die here today, on this mission?

    “May God protect us from such an end,” Salmon said under his breath.

    “What should we do now?” Ephraim said. “Join the throng waiting for the gates to open?”

    “We’ll wait until late in the day. Better if we aren’t inspected too closely. The guards will be less attentive then.”

    They found a grassy place not far from a spring-fed stream and slept in the shade of the City of Palms.



two

    AT first glance, Rahab dismissed the two men as Amorite soldiers