They surveyed the land

8So the men arose and went, and Joshua commanded those who were going to write down the land, saying, “Go and walk through the land, and write it down, and return to me; and here I will cast lots for you before Yahweh in Shiloh.”

9So the men went and passed through the land, and they wrote it down by cities in seven portions in a book, and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh.