Reading the old testament changed my life completely now I know who I am and where I belong and who the True Israelites are and how we have been beguiled it gives you a whole lot of insight that's why the church is confused a lack of self educating
At least Goldingay is right about inspired legend being mixed with history in the OT. To set the record straight, Joshua has many references to indiscriminate slaughter of men, women, and children. Consult a concordance under the word "survivor" as in, "left no survivor," and note how many times it occurs in Joshua. Brutality is employed there (as in Num, Deut, and a few other books) provocatively to communicate that the corrupt practices of Canaanite culture were to be rejected. Similarly, when Jesus says to amputate your hand or foot or gouge out your eye to avoid sinning, he nowhere explains that he is using hyperbole. He never spiritualizes this brutal saying, he leaves us to do that ourselves. Same in the OT.