For an example of an ancient battle idiom, consider this: 2 Kings tells the story of the Assyrian invasion of Israel, which was turned back after a miraculous defeat during the siege of Jerusalem. Archaeology has revealed that the Assyrian king went home and told a different story, that he \u201Cshut up [Jerusalem] like a caged bird.\u201D This was essentially ancient public relations management in the form of a well-known idiom for a siege. Similarly, Joshua uses idioms like these when he is writing his battle narratives.