How many years does the book of Joshua cover?
The book of Joshua covers a period of 26 years. This span is noted when the study moves from Joshua to Judges, contrasting Joshua's 26 years with the roughly 300 to 400 years of the Judges. The context indicates Joshua's account is much shorter than the subsequent era of Israel's history.
Les teaches that the book of Joshua covered 26 years. He mentions this as he transitions to 2 Kings 17, noting that the rest of Joshua has been skipped over. He then contrasts that 26-year span with the book of Judges, which covers between 300 and 400 years—a long period that is twice as long as America has been a nation. During the Judges era, Israel occupied Canaan but failed to destroy the Canaanite people as God instructed, which led them into idolatry.