Land is never just dirt. It is inheritance. Land carries social and spiritual meaning that goes beyond agricultural potential. For traditional farmers, land bonds them to family and God. This bonding imposes limitations and obligations regarding its use and distribution.
Inheritance is a theologically rich concept that guided Israel's relationship to the land.
The basic idea is that the land is Yahweh's land. Throughout Joshua 13-19, land is first and foremost an inheritance given to Israel by Yahweh . Land is Yahweh's gift to be passed on from generation to generation. Land was the inheritance of the tribe. The tribe apportioned the land according to families.