Because of this violation of Jehovah’s explicit instructions, when the next city, Ai, was attacked Jehovah withheld his blessing, and Israel was put to flight. Who was guilty? No one confessed. All Israel was then put on trial. Tribe by tribe, then family by family of the tribe of Judah, and finally, man by man of the house of Zabdi, they passed before Jehovah until Achan “got to be picked.” (Jos 7:4-18) Only then did he admit his sin. Execution quickly followed. Achan, his family (who could hardly have been ignorant of what he had done), and his livestock were first stoned to death, and then burned with fire, together with all his possessions, in the Valley of Achor, meaning “Ostracism; Trouble.”​—Jos 7:19-26.

Achan, by his stealing and hiding some booty from the capture of Jericho, had brought ostracism on the nation of Israel, including defeat at the first attack on Ai.​—Jos 7:5-26.