Joshua or Jehoshua ( Yĕhôshúʿa or Yĕshúʿa; Isho; , Yūshaʿ ibn Nūn; , ), is a figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel (Num 13–14) and identified in several passages as Moses' assistant. He is the central figure in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua. According to the books of Exodus, Numbers and Joshua, he became the leader of the Israelite tribes after the death of Moses. His name was Hoshe'a (הוֹשֵׁעַ) the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, but Moses called him Yehoshu'a (יְהוֹשֻעַ; Joshua in English) the name by which he is commonly known. The name is shortened to Yeshua in Nehemiah . According to the Bible he was born in Egypt prior to the Exodus.