Chapter 24

Joshua gathers all the tribes of Israel to Shechem.  He recounts the history of the nation, beginning with Abraham's father Terah, who worshiped other gods.  He sums it all up this way:

15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." [Jos 24:15 ESV]

Here are some interesting verses:

25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. [Jos 24:25-26 ESV]

Are these additional rules and laws that Joshua alone adds to the Law of Moses, and puts in place?  This covenant is between Joshua and the people, not God and the people?  Hmm...

MSB note on 26 says Joshua expanded the canon beyond the five books of Moses. That is, the book of Joshua also became part of the "Bible" they had at that time.  I think this is also a good indication that the book of Joshua was written by Joshua himself, and in this verse he "consecrates" the book as Holy Scripture.  This sets a precedent for the addition of more books to the OT, and eventually a whole NT. 

After Joshua receives a renewed commitment to God from the people, he dies, at the age of 110.

The verses from 29-33 would have been written by someone else, as they first say that Joshua died.  Then there is a bit of a "cleaning up" of the story line.  No successor to Joshua is named.  Joshua was hand picked to take up the leadership of Moses when Moses died.  No one succeeds Joshua.  Instead, leadership now passes to the priesthood.  The nation is becoming a theocracy at this point. 

One last thing, in the last verse of Joshua, written by someone else after Joshua died:

33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim. [Jos 24:33 ESV]

Here is Gibeah yet again.  The new High Priest, Phinehas, is from that city.  This is in the land granted to Benjamin.  This city will be very prominent in the last pages of the next book, Judges.