After the wars were over, Joshua called the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He praised them for their faithfulness—how they had obeyed Moses and himself, never abandoning their fellow Israelites and faithfully completing the Lord's mission.
Now that the Lord had given the rest of Israel peace, Joshua told them, "Go back to your homes across the Jordan, but be careful to love the Lord your God, walk in His ways, obey His commands, and serve Him with all your heart and soul." He blessed them and sent them home with great wealth—livestock, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and fine clothes—telling them to share their blessings with their brothers.
When they reached Geliloth near the Jordan, these tribes built a large and impressive altar by the river. But when the other Israelites heard about it, they thought the tribes were rebelling against God by building a rival altar. The whole nation gathered at Shiloh, ready to go to war.
Before fighting, they sent Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, along with ten tribal leaders, to confront the eastern tribes. They asked, "Why have you turned away from the Lord by building another altar? Have we forgotten the sin at Peor or the sin of Achan, which brought trouble on us all? If your land is defiled, come back to the Lord's land—but don't rebel against Him!"
The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh replied passionately, "The Mighty One, God, the Lord—He knows our hearts! If we built this altar in rebellion, may He punish us. But that is not why we did it. We built it because we feared that one day your descendants might reject ours, saying, 'You have no share in the Lord.' So we built this altar, not for sacrifices, but as a witness between us—that we all serve the same God and worship Him at His true altar."
When Phinehas and the other leaders heard this explanation, they were greatly relieved. Phinehas said, "Now we know the Lord is among us. You have not sinned against Him, and you have saved Israel from His wrath."
The leaders returned to Shiloh and reported everything. The Israelites rejoiced, praised God, and abandoned their plan for war. The eastern tribes named the altar "A Witness Between Us That the Lord Is God."
It stood as a lasting reminder that though the Jordan River separated them by land, their faith and allegiance to God were one.