יהושע, פרק י״א, פסוק ט״ז

The conquest of the Promised Land was not achieved in a single, sweeping moment, but rather through a demanding and comprehensive military campaign. While earlier battles, such as the defeat of the five kings at Gibeon, were won in a swift and decisive stroke, securing the vast surrounding territories required continuous effort. The complete conquest of these regions, which involved defeating the local nations and gathering the spoils, demanded a prolonged war that lasted many days [אברבנאל].

The newly secured territories spanned diverse landscapes, including the southern mountainous region and the inner lowland area known as the Land of Goshen [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Although this region shares its name with the famous area in Egypt, it is an entirely separate territory. However, a traditional teaching connects the two locations, suggesting that the Egyptian Goshen was elevated and absorbed into the cities of the Land of Israel. According to this tradition, because Judah was the first to travel down to Goshen in Egypt on a mission for his father, his descendants were rewarded with a fertile region in their tribal inheritance bearing the exact same name [רד״ק].

Another significant area captured during this campaign was the Mountain of Israel and its surrounding lowlands [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Commentators offer two perspectives on the origin of this mountain's name. From a geographical standpoint, this refers to the northern mountains that would eventually form the territory of the Kingdom of Israel [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Historically, however, the area is understood to be named after the patriarch Jacob, also known as Israel, who had previously lived and settled on this very mountain [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].