Coming generations were not to be without a witness to this great miracle. While the priests bearing the ark were still in the midst of Jordan, twelve men previously chosen, one from each tribe, took up each a stone from the river bed where the priests were standing, and carried it over to the western side. These stones were to be set up as a monument in the first camping place beyond the river. The people were bidden to repeat to their children and children's children the story of the deliverance that God had wrought for them, as Joshua said, "That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God forever."

Fremtidige slægter skulle ikke savne et vidnesbyrd om dette store mirakel. Mens præsterne, som bar arken, stadig stod midt i Jordan, tog tolv mænd, der var valgt på forhånd, een mand af hver stamme, hver sin sten fra flodsengen, hvor præsterne stod og bar dem over til den vestlige bred. Disse sten skulle rejses som et monument i Israels første lejr på den anden side af floden. Folket fik besked på at gentage beretningen om den måde, Gud havde befriet dem på, for deres børn og børnebørn, for at, som Josua sagde, "alle Jordens folk skal kende, at Herrens arm er stærk, at de må frygte Herren Eders Gud alle dage".