Late 15th Century BC (During the Wilderness Wanderings)
The Israelites were organized into tribes and clans, with inheritance laws traditionally favoring male heirs.
The Israelites were a nomadic people under the leadership of Moses, preparing to enter the Promised Land.
The plains of Moab, near the Jordan River, across from Jericho, where the Israelites camped before entering Canaan.
Inheritance laws were patrilineal, but the case of Zelophehad's daughters led to a legal precedent allowing daughters to inherit if there were no sons.
Moses
Leader of the Israelites and mediator of God's laws.
Zelophehad's Daughters
Challenged the inheritance laws to secure their father's inheritance.
Joshua
Appointed as Moses' successor to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.