Joshua 22

Joshua sends the soldiers from the two and a half tribes (Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh) back to their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan River. As they depart, these tribes build a massive, conspicuous altar on the west bank of the Jordan. The other tribes (west of the Jordan) misinterpret this act as rebellion against God and prepare for war. They send Phinehas to confront the eastern tribes, who explain the altar is only a witness to their shared God, not a place for sacrifice. War is averted through communication.