St. Alban the Martyr

Joshua and the Captain of the Lord's Host


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Here we see Joshua before the walls of Jericho, which he is besieging, kneeling with his shoes on the ground beside him. Before him stands the angelic Captain of the Lord's Host.

The scroll held by the angel beneath the scene reads "Joshua V 13-15". These verses say: "And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What sayeth my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off theyfoot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so."

After this preparation, the Lord reveals to Joshua how to capture the city by parading the Ark of the Covenant seven times round the walls accompanied by rams horn trumpets, causing the walls to collapse.

Next, look at the upper middle panel, showing Longinus and the Centurion at the Crucifixion.