Episode 2

Available for over a year

In the Old Testament of the Bible, Joshua takes the city of Ai for the Israelites by pretending his army is running away. Believing they have routed their enemy, the city's defending fighters give chase to finish the job. Only then does a hidden Israelite attack-force rush into the city to set it ablaze. It is one of the earliest recorded instances of military deception. In episode 2 of his series, historian Ben Macintyre explores how this kind of feint has been a central tenet of military strategy ever since.