Issues in the Bible
Stones from the Sky: The Forgotten Miracle of Joshua’s Battle at Beit Choron
Unravel the mystery behind the “hailstones from heaven” that struck Canaan’s armies — combining archaeology, meteor science, and biblical tradition to reveal how nature became a weapon of divine power
The Book of Yehoshua (Joshua) describes a remarkable miracle that occurred during the Israelite conquest of Canaan. As Yehoshua and his army pursued the Canaanites down the ascent of Beit Choron, something extraordinary happened: “As they fled before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beit Choron, the Lord hurled great stones from heaven upon them to Azekah, and they died. More died from the hailstones than those slain by the sword of the Israelites.” (Yehoshua 10:11)
According to the Mishnah (Berachot 9:1), anyone who sees “the stones that fell at Beit Choron” must recite the blessing: “Blessed is He who performed miracles for our ancestors in this place.” This suggests that these stones were still known and recognizable to the Sages.
What exactly were these stones — and can we still identify them today?
What Were the “Stones from Heaven”?
The prophet Yechezkel (Ezekiel) later refers to “hailstones” as instruments of divine judgment: “I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him torrential rain and great hailstones.” (Yechezkel 38:22)
The Talmud explains that these are the same stones that fell from the heavens at Beit Choron: “What are ‘stones of Elgabish’? They are stones that stood upon the back of one man and fell upon the back of another — they stood by Moshe, as it says ‘the thunder and hail ceased,’ and they fell by Yehoshua, as it says, ‘The Lord cast down great stones from heaven.’”
Rashi comments that the name Elgabish refers to the shining nature of the stones — “bright as crystal or precious stones.” Other commentators suggest that these stones glowed because, as in the plague of hail in Egypt, “fire was flashing within the hail.”
Hailstones made of ice could not possibly survive for centuries — so how could later generations still “see the stones”? The Tosafists answer that the blessing refers to seeing the place of the miracle, not the stones themselves. However, Ibn Ezra and others interpret the text literally: these were actual stones that fell from the sky — not ice, but fiery rock.
Fire from the Sky: A Natural Event with Divine Precision
We know of two natural phenomena in which stones literally fall from heaven:
Volcanic rocks, ejected from eruptions.
Meteorites, fragments of celestial bodies entering Earth’s atmosphere.
Both involve intense heat and fire, which could explain the “shining stones” described by Rashi.
Another biblical battle offers a striking parallel: during Devorah and Barak’s war against Sisera, the verse says, “The stars fought from heaven; from their courses they fought against Sisera.” (Shoftim 5:20)
The Sages explain that Sisera’s iron-clad warriors were burned by fiery material falling from the stars — likely a meteor shower that melted their armor. While meteor showers are a known natural phenomenon, the timing, precision, and targeting described in Yehoshua make this event undeniably miraculous.
Historical Parallels: Meteor Showers of Death
A similar event occurred in 1490 CE, recorded in Chinese chronicles from Chang-Yang province: “Stones fell like rain from the heavens; the largest weighed about 1.5 kilograms, the smallest about half that. The larger ones were the size of goose eggs, the smaller like chestnuts. More than ten thousand people perished.”
Such meteor showers can occur when a massive meteor breaks apart upon entering the atmosphere, showering thousands of flaming stones across a wide area.
Can We Locate the Site Today?
Between Modi’in and Beit Horon lies a hill still known as Givat HaMelachim — “The Hill of the Kings.” This area is covered with an unusually dense layer of flint stones scattered across its surface, as if they “sprouted from the ground.”
Local tradition and biblical researchers identify this site as the very place where the “stones from heaven” fell — the battlefield where God’s hailstones struck down the Canaanite kings.
Faith Meets Geology
Whether seen as a natural meteor storm or a direct act of divine intervention, the miracle of Beit Choron reflects a profound truth woven throughout the Bible: Nature itself — wind, fire, and stone — can become the instrument of divine justice.
