Joshua used a strategy against Ai in Joshua 8 that is common to all martial arts: lull your opponent into complacency by appearing to conform to a pattern. The pagan gods of the ancient near east were thought to be geographically limited. The people of Ai had heard of how Jericho had fallen, but when they defeated Israel's first attack, they assumed the Hebrew God was powerless at Ai, which made them susceptible to a feint and ambush.