The Israelites had previously defeated several great and mighty nations that had been considered far more powerful than themselves. Ai was a small city kingdom that at first they had thought to capture with relatively few
men and in a short space of time. They had been wrong. They had been repulsed with losses. Their reputation (that was an important aspect of their military national formidability) had been damaged. They had been nonplussed. They had been in a position that was perhaps somewhat similar to that of the USA after Vietnam. If they did not take Ai quickly and easily there was a danger that from henceforth every little enemy enclave would give the utmost opposition. All their myriad enemies from roundabout that both hated and feared them were liable to unite and come screaming in for the kill.

We can perhaps learn a few things from the described situation:Do not treat any person or minor event with lack of respect.
Do not take success for granted.You need the help of God for the small things as well as the big ones.The God of Israel loves you and wants your success but there are elements out there who are not so inclined. If you lose or lessen the experience of the Almighty in your lives you are liable to be exposed to negative elements.After a setback it is fitting to re-examine your spiritual and moral situation. Nothing is without a cause though we do not always know what the cause or reason is. If necessary: Repent, remove the evil influence or cause of misfortune and resolve to do righteously from henceforth. The odds are that you will receive a second chance and be enabled to go forward even stronger than before. To do good one needs the direction of the God of the Bible.

  <<AND THOU SHALT DO TO AI AND HER KING AS THOU DIDST UNTO JERICHO AND HER KING>>:  The God of Israel is merciful. Sometimes true compassion and mercy means one must be ruthless. The sources of evil must be destroyed.

Here Joshua takes 30,000 men and sets them in ambush. We are going according to the Commentary of Daat Mikra.

<<EVEN BEHIND THE CITY>>: Dat Mikra: to the west of city. The gate of the city was on the east side.  Westin Hebrew is behind, before is east, Right is south, Left is north. The ancient Celts used the same terms in the same way.

The main camp was to the north of the city. The main ambush of 30,000 men was close to the city on the west side. Here was takes another 5,000 men and puts them in ambush also to the west of the city but further back in the gap between the main camp and the first ambush group.

They set fire to the city.

The false retreat is an old military tactic. The Scythians used it often. The Normans used it to break the Anglo-Saxon ranks at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

The fleeing Israelites turned around and caught the Canaanites in a pincer movement. The capturers of the city came out of the city and advanced towards the men of Ai from one side; the second ambush came in from the flank adjoining the men coming out of the city. The people of Ai were surroundered.

Their initial defeats had come upon the Israelites because they took spoil from Jericho that was forbidden to them. After having punished the guilty party for taking the spoil and purified the people they once again attacked Ai. We can perhaps learn a few things from the above:When attempting to do something that is necessary and good and not succeeding we may need to correct something within us and then make another attempt. God does not want us to quit.The trouble had come upon them because they had not lived up to the standards set for them. After purifying them God commanded them to try again and this time HE did not forbid them to take spoil from the city. It is as if God Himself was leaning from a mistake [God does not make mistakes but we are explaining things in human terminology] and this time did not set them a standard beyond their capabilities, i.e. aim high and if you do not succeed aim lower but keep striving to go forward.

See the extract from Joseph given below.

Adapted from Joseph:

SOME ARCHAEOLOGY

When the Children of Israel entered the Land of Israel after coming out of
Egypt they crossed the Jordah River, conquered the cities of Jericho and Ai
and then came to Mount Ebal overlooking the city of Schechem. Joshua then
set up an altar and wrote the Law of Moses on stones for all to read. The
archaeologist, Adam Zertal discovered what he considers to be the altar
constructed by Joshua (Joshua 8;30) in Mount Ebal by the city of Schechem
in the center of Israel. In ancient times this city was in the territory of
Menasseh. Zertal has also conducted an intensive study of the area of
Menasseh west of the Jordan in Biblical times. Zertals findings are
discussed in his work, Am Nolad. Mizbeach Har Eival Vereishit Yisrael
(Hebrew): A People is Born. The Altar at Mount Eibal and the Beginnings of
Israel by Adam Zertal, Tel Aviv, 2000.

The altar of Joshua that was discovered on Mount Ebal had the same
dimensions as the altar in the Temple at Jerusalem. It comprised a
framework of uncut Cyclopedian (giant) stones. These are considered
characteristic of the Israelites. The unhewn stone framework had been
filled up with ashes and earth. The ashes were those of clean animals
according to the requirements of the Law. The Israelites had been commanded
to make an altar of earth (Exodus 20;24). They had also been commanded to
make an altar of unhewn stones. A framework of unhewn stones with an
earthen filling fulfilled both requirements. Before the altar had been
erected a preparatory ceremony of sacrifices over a mound of earth had
taken place. The altar was surrounded by a large paved courtyard and
storage arrangements. Everything was designed so that the Laws of ritual
purity could be maintained. The whole complex was on a raised mound encased
by a kind of containing wall. It was located in a kind of natural
amphitheater that could contain tens of thousands of participants with the
attention of all there directed to the altars location. In the commandment
of Moses (above) the Israelites were told to write the Torah on plaster and
very thick pieces of plaster have been found on the site. This use of
plaster though known in the ancient world appears to have been rare in that
period. Similar plaster however was also recorded at Dir Ala (the Biblical
Succoth) in Jordan.

The altar complex on Mount Ebal had been deliberately buried. Zertal
suggests that the Israelites had done the burying before moving onwards in
order apparently to protect the sanctity of the complex (for more details
see Chapter Five in Joseph).
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