24:1–28 At the end of his life, Joshua led Israel in a reaffirmation of the covenant, much as Moses did before he died (Deut. 32:46). As with Deuteronomy, there may be an analogy between this covenant renewal and the kind of treaties that were typically used to formalize relations between powerful sovereign nations and weaker client states (see Deuteronomy: Introduction). These treaties, called “suzerainty treaties,” commonly included elements like those found in Josh. 24, such as a historical prologue reviewing the care given by the powerful party to the client (vv. 2–13); a prohibition of any outside alliance (vv. 14, 23); and provision for a written document (vv. 25, 26). There are also significant differences between such ancient treaties and Josh. 24.