Collective Punishment for Akhan's Sin/1/en
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Collective Punishment for Akhan's Sin
Introduction
One of the most troubling theological questions encountered by readers of Tanakh is why innocents are sometimes punished for the sins of others. The issue comes to the fore in Yehoshua Chapter 7, when one individual, Akhan, takes from the banned, consecrated spoils of Yericho resulting in national defeat at the Battle of Ai and the death of thirty-six soldiers. Akhan, himself, however, is originally spared and only killed later after a public lottery finds him guilty. Why did the actions of one person lead to the death of many?
