This study on Joshua, the hero of the eponymous book, examines the ambivalence of the ethical evaluation of the character. Considered exemplary to the point of being a model for Israel’s leaders and conquerors in history, Joshua appears as the armed hand of a God who takes care of his people by ordering the massacre of innocent Canaanites, the exegetical literature asserts. Although the leader is in command of troops whose actions have been described by some as genocidal, the theme of “Joshua and violence” has paradoxically not been thoroughly researched. Despite the fact that Joshua is purposely protected by the narrative, we argue that he is guilty of the atrocities discussed in the book, even if he cannot be held responsible for them. For the rhetoric of the book that exalts violence is a fact of culture and can, in this way, serve as a mirror to the unthought-of violence that is also embedded in our cultures.