Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant, an oil painting on wood completed by the American artist Benjamin West in 1800. It depicts a scene from the Biblical Book of Joshua in which Joshua, leader of the Israelite tribes after the death of Moses, leads them across the River Jordan. In the Biblical narrative, God (shown here as a Pillar of Cloud) parts the river at Gilgal to offer the Children of Israel safe passage into Canaan.Painting: Benjamin West