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Josh and the Big Wall!

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This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the book or the game.
"Hello! My name is Joshua, and God has given us this land!"
— Joshua giving his victory speech towards the people of Jericho
JoshAndTheBigWall
Josh and the Big Wall
Directed by

Phil Vischer
Chris Olsen

Produced by

Chris Olsen

Written by

Phil Vischer

Music by

Kurt Heinecke
Phil Vischer

Distributed by

Word/Everland Entertainment

Released

November 18, 1997

Runtime

34 minutes

Previous episode

Larry-Boy! and the
Fib from
Outer Space!

Next episode

Madame Blueberry

Josh and the Big Wall! is the ninth episode of VeggieTales. It is a retelling of the biblical story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho and incorporates elements that parody Monty Python & the Holy Grail. It features a lesson about obedience. (Specifically to God).

Plot

Opening Countertop

On the Countertop, Bob the Tomato, accompanied by Junior Asparagus in place of Larry the Cucumber, greet the viewers. Bob then tells the viewers that Larry was a little bit tired after the last show so they decided to let him sleep in today. Bob also explains that in the meantime, Junior has very graciously agreed to help out. Bob then explains to Junior that they got a letter from Victor Bartholomew from Sausalito, California, who explains that there was a kid named Louis in his class who hit him, but he learned in church that God wants us to follow His directions. In all honesty, he actually wants to hit Louis back. Victor then wants to know whether he should do it his way or God's way. Junior sympathizes with Victor, saying that sometimes, he wants to do things his way too. Junior then asks Bob if they have any stories about that. Bob answers that question by asking Junior if he remembers the Israelites. Junior says that he remembers them, before asking Bob if the Israelites were supposed to be God's chosen people, which Bob confirms. Junior then confidently states that he bets that the Israelites always followed God's directions, before Bob tells him that they didn't always do what God said for them to do. When Junior asks what Bob means by that, Bob then tells Junior that it would be better to show him than to tell him, which confuses Junior. Bob then tells Junior to close his eyes and not to open them until he tells him to. When Bob and Junior both close their eyes, they find themselves transported into the deserts of Israel.

Part 1

Bob acts as narrator and provides Junior with some background information. The Israelites, having been held as slaves in Egypt, are liberated by Moses (played by Mr. Nezzer) and led to the Promised Land by God. But, they run away after seeing people who look like giants in it. God was furious at the Israelites for that and as punishment, the Israelites could not enter The Promised Land for the next 40 years. Unfortunately; upon the completion of their exile, Moses had passed away. Fortunately though, Moses had a back up plan before his death. Moses had a special helper named Joshua (played by Larry the Cucumber) and he had already appointed Joshua to become the new leader of the Israelites should he pass away. Once Moses passed away, Joshua eventually became the leader. As soon as the time comes to go to the Promised Land, Joshua then leads the Israelites back to the Promised Land. However, a certain thing stands in their way — the walls of the city of Jericho.

Silly Songs with Larry

The Song of the Cebú

Part 2

When the story resumes, the Israelites are met by the defenders of Jericho (the French Peas) who taunt them from atop the city's great wall. Joshua explains that God has given this land to the Israelites and that therefore the defenders will have to move. They are met by more insults and jeering. When a slushy falls and hits Jimmy, they decide to fall back and regroup.

That night, some of the Israelites want to go back to Egypt while others want to destroy Jericho by force. Joshua goes off to pray alone and he meets the Commander of the Army of the Lord who tells him how the Israelites are to take Jericho: they must march around the city once a day for six days; on the seventh day, they are to march around it seven times, blow their horns, and all yell at the top of their lungs all at same time. At this point, the messenger states, the walls of Jericho will eventually fall. Naturally this plan leads to some skepticism and even doubt. Although Pa Grape still suggests they go back to Egypt, Jimmy and Jerry show a rocket they built as part of their plan to deal with Jericho. But Josh convinces everyone to do it God's way.

The Israelites agree to try it God's way and proceed to Jericho the next day. The city's defenders insult them all the more, turning their taunts into a musical number while bombing them constantly with slushies. The end of the day finds the Israelites on the verge of rebellion. At this point, Junior intervenes and convinces them to continue with the plan God laid out. He explains that God's way doesn't always make sense, but provides examples of how it always works out in the end like how God fed them mana to keep them alive or how the water from the Red Sea dried up so they could walk across it.

The Israelites agree to stick with the plan and, in spite of renewed counterattacks, march around the city for seven days as specified. On the seventh day, they blow their horns with one long blast. And then, they all begin to scream at the top of their lungs! At first, nothing happens. The Jericho Guards look down at the Israelites for a few seconds and they laugh before a brick jumps out of its place. They look at the brick as a low rumble is heard, and this means the walls of the city are collapsing. The Israelites watch as the walls of the city collapse. After the dust settles, Jericho is reduced to bricks and rubble. After Joshua gives his victory speech, the soldiers surrender and the Israelites make their way to the Promised Land.

Closing Countertop

Back on the Countertop, Bob asks Junior what he thought of the story, which Junior says that it was amazing. Junior then asks Bob if the Israelites really built a rocket and got slushies dropped on their heads, to which Bob replies that they didn't, and that they were just using their imaginations. Bob and Junior then appear next to Qwerty, saying that it's time to talk about what they've learned, before the "What We Have Learned" song plays again. Bob goes off to turn off the song, before a slushy falls right in front of his path, thanks to the French Peas, who state that they love that song. After the song ends, Junior explains that the Israelites learned that God's way is the best way and that God wants us to follow the directions that he gives us. Bob and Junior then consult Qwerty for a verse, to which Qwerty brings up the verse, which is "As for God, his way is perfect. 2nd Samuel 22:31a". Bob then tells Victor to remember what God told him, before stating that maybe Louis doesn't need a punch in the nose, but maybe needs a friend, which Junior agrees with. Bob and Junior then say goodbye to the viewers before leaving, but then Larry shows up in his pajamas (which are the same ones that he wore in "Oh, Santa!" from "The Toy That Saved Christmas) before asking if it's time for the show. The lights then go dim and Qwerty turns off, leaving Larry in the dark as he says "Aw, nuts!" before the episode ends.

Characters

Major

Minor

Featured in the Silly Song

Voice Cast

  • Phil Vischer as Bob the Tomato, Archibald Asparagus, Pa Grape, Jimmy Gourd, Phillipe Pea, Tom Grape, Percy Pea, other French Peas and a Battle Hymn singer
  • Mike Nawrocki as Larry the Cucumber, Jerry Gourd, Jean-Claude Pea and other French Peas
  • Lisa Vischer as Junior Asparagus
  • Jim Poole as Scooter Carrot
  • Kurt Heinecke as a Battle Hymn singer
  • Tim Johnson as a Battle Hymn singer

Songs

Home media

Main article: Josh and the Big Wall!/Home Video

Features

Josh and the Big Wall!/Features

Trailer Appearances

Josh and the Big Wall!/Trailer Appearances

Other Languages

  • السبع لفات (Arabic) (The Seven Laps)
  • Josh 與 Big Wall (Cantonese) (same translation)
  • Josse ja suuri muuri (Finnish) (same translation)
  • Das Abenteuer von Josua (German) (The Adventure of Joshua)
  • Jerikó falai (Hungarian) (The Walls of Jericho)
  • 여호수아와 여리고성 (Korean) (Joshua and Jericho)
  • 沙漠先鋒隊 (Mandarin) (Taiwan) (1st dub) (Desert Vanguard)
    • 的書亞與高牆 (Mandarin) (Taiwan) (2nd dub) (Joshua and the High Wall)
  • Joshua og den store muren (Norwegian) (same translation)
  • جاشوا و دیوار بزرگ (Persian) (same translation)
  • Джош и Большие Стены (Russian) (same translation)
  • Jozue in veliki zid (Slovenian) (same translation)
  • ¡Josué y la Gran Muralla! (Spanish) (Latin America) (same translation)
  • Josh và bức tường vĩ đại (Vietnamese) (same translation)

Fun Facts

Moral

  • Doing things God's way is always better than doing things our own way.
  • While God's instructions may not always make sense to us, we should always listen and follow them.

Explanations

  • Saline is a mixture of sodium chloride (salt and sterile water). It's commonly used for contact lens solution and nasal irrigation sprays.

Trivia

  • This is the first episode for a few things:
    • The first episode where Everett Downing worked on as an assistant storyboard artist.
    • The first physical appearance of Aunt Ruth, who only cameo appeared in a slideshow still in the silly song, though was previously mentioned by Jerry Gourd in the I Can Be Your Friend song from Are You My Neighbor? in The Gourds Must Be Crazy and by Larry in the Love My Lips silly song from Dave and the Giant Pickle.
    • The first episode where Larry is replaced by Junior as the host.
    • The first double-length episode not to have a character voiceover announcing "We'll be right back after this short break!" and "Back to our story!" in the black screens between the story and Silly Song.
    • The first episode where Bob and Junior close their eyes to use their imagination. The second being Abe and the Amazing Promise.
  • This is the last episode for several things:
    • Tom Grape's last appearance to date.
    • The Peach's last appearance until Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas.
    • The last show where Mike Nawrocki worked with the sound effects.
    • The last episode to use the original VeggieTales logo and theme song. By the time Madame Blueberry was released, the 1998 logo and opening montage were introduced.
    • This is the last episode to be distributed by Everland Entertainment, although Everland distributed several Alby VCD releases from 1998 to 2000.
    • The last episode to have the "Welcome to VeggieTales" promo for the Mass Market.
    • The last episode to have the "Distributed by Word Entertainment" text on the back of the VHS Cover.
  • According to the concept art, there were a few differences between that and the final product:
The Morning Star Sun Nov 23 1997

The original title of the episode.

    • According to a The Morning Star November 23, 1997 newspaper article, the episode's original title was going to be "Joshua and the Battle of Jericho."
    • The ark was going to be on wheels.
    • The helmets on the army of Jericho were going to be colanders and something to an Asian straw hat. Also, the helmets would've covered the Peas' eyesight, but they'd still see (ala Tom Grape and Mr. Lunt).
    • The wall was going to be extendable, meaning, starting as a low wall and folding up to become bigger.
    • There was going to be a motorcycle involved.
    • The only appearance of Baby Pickle.
Josh1999PrototypeCover

The 1999 VHS reprint cover was going to look similar to the original one, but never made it into the final reprint. Seen on a Kids Motion International promotional pamphlet for the episode.

    • The cover to the 1999 re-release was going to look similar to the original cover but never came to be.
  • There was going to be more shots of the walls of Jericho collapsing for the episode, but they were scrapped due to money running low and the episode's deadline.
  • This episode also appears in Heroes of the Bible!: Stand Up, Stand Tall, Stand Strong!, and Larry Learns to Listen.
  • The Song of the Cebú also appears in The End of Silliness?, The Ultimate Silly Song Countdown, Englishman with an Omelet, Heroes of the Bible!: Stand Up, Stand Tall, Stand Strong!, Sing-Alongs: I Love My Lips, and If I Sang A Silly Song.
  • When Bob, the narrator was stating that their first attempt to enter the Promised Land, which was known as Canaan in the Bible, they at first saw the people which they described looked like giants, thus they didn't want to go in. This references the Twelve Spies in the Book of Numbers, which falsified the claims of the promised land Canaan to the Israelites which held everyone back at as a result, which Joshua played as a role as one of the Spies.
  • Larry reads the interactive storybook version on the DVD release of The Wonderful World of Auto-Tainment!
  • Near the end, Junior asks Bob about the legitimacy of the story. Bob clarifies that the slushee dropping and the rocket being built were things added in their version of the story (possibly to make it appealing to young kids) and informs the viewers to read the full story of Joshua in the Bible. This line was added in the script in order to prevent young children from asking that same question if they went to Sunday School and a subtle response to parents who complained about the creative liberties Biblical retellings.
  • This episode was originally going to be released on October 4, 1997, but was pushed back to nearly a month and a half later.
  • This episode was released three days before Don Bluth's most famous film, Anastasia by 20th Century Fox.
  • There exists an extremely rare early 2002 VHS reprint of this episode by Lyrick Studios/HiT Entertainment. It has a black tape with a white ink label, and it has a print date of March 15, 2002.
  • The pea priest's voice was done by Mike Nawrocki.

Remarks

  • The lighting has changed from what was from the previous episodes, despite the fact that Larry-Boy! and the Fib from Outer Space! was the first episode with a lighting department. Phil stated this was because they had a new lighting technician after the previous episode.
    • This is also the first time the characters had a different color look, which results in them not being as shiny. This was done by their lighting director at the time, Jon Gadsby.
  • The sun shown is actually a lens flare.
  • Unlike the Biblical version of the story, the Israelites don't start at Egypt.
  • The German dub's title refers to Joshua as "Josua", but the dialogue in the actual episode refers to him as "Joshua."
  • In the 1999 Word Entertainment VHS reissue and further reprints of this episode, the axis positioning and height of the characters was edited for some scenes.
  • After Junior says his speech and sings his reprise of "The Lord Has Given", he says that he will march around Jericho the next morning alongside Joshua, though he doesn't actually march with Joshua and the Israelites the next morning.
  • This is one of the few episodes whose original unremastered visuals in almost their entirety are available in DVD Quality, with the 1999 master of the episode itself (which had a few shots corrected compared to the original 1997 master) appearing in the Yippee release of Heroes of the Bible!: Stand Up, Stand Tall, Stand Strong!, excluding the credits.

Goofs

  • After God tells Moses about the Promised Land, you can still see part of the clothing after he leaves the screen.
  • Bob forgot to mention Moses' brother Aaron.
  • After the Israelites get scared of the Pickle family and run away, Percy's escaping from the tree was rendered at a lower frame rate, which technically counts as a rendering glitch.
  • As you'll notice in some shots, the legs on the sheep don't touch the ground, making them float in mid-air.
  • There are two shots where Larry's tooth is missing, in the picture of him and his Aunt Ruth and when he says "I forgot about that one".
  • In the first shot of Jericho, the slushy cup isn't there until it shows up in the closeups of the Peas. It then vanishes again after the Peas ask Joshua who he is. It then reappears after Joshua tells the Peas to leave.
  • One shot shows Jerry's eyes positioned too high.
  • On the 2004 Sony Wonder DVD, the 1991 Sony Wonder logo is used on the disc instead of the ribbon logo seen on the cover, despite being reprinted in 2004.

Inside References

  • This episode has a few nods to Dave and the Giant Pickle, such as:
    • It being a retelling of a Bible story that takes place in the desert, the Israelites are in the story, and the costumes the characters wore (Jimmy, Jerry, Pa, Tom, and Junior) were recycled.
    • Goliath and the sheep are in it.
    • The French Peas were portrayed as the bad guys.
  • A few mentions of lack of body parts, such as:
    • Tom stating to his father how they're clapping.
    • Jimmy saying he has slushy in his ear.
  • Larry has his pajamas from Oh, Santa! at the end.
  • Bob mentions that Larry was a little tired after the last show

Real-World References

  • Like Dave and the Giant Pickle, this episode contained a small nod to the Monty Python series. Here, the French Peas taunt Josh and the Israelites from above the wall. This is reminiscent of Holy Grail, where the French taunt King Arthur and his men from their fort.
  • As Phil confirmed, the moving arrow action on the map is similar to what the Indiana Jones films did.
  • The sunrise in the climax is similar to the one from the opening in Disney's The Lion King.

Fast Forward

  • Junior would become co-host and break the fourth wall to say hi to the kid in which they get the letter from again for a future episode, even the opening for this episode where they imagine themselves in the story.
  • Part of Moses' story is true and Big Idea later told their own take on the story of Moses!
  • This episode, along with Dave and the Giant Pickle, was turned into a touring live show in 2002. Both episodes were combined into one 90-minute stage show.
  • Jean-Claude would later blow a raspberry again.

Episode Transcript

Credits

Gallery

Josh and the Big Wall Logo

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