How do Catholics explain that the fighting leaders of the Hebrews were old men?

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I don't have a specifically Catholic perspective but by the time of the events in the book of Joshua, the physical people Judah, Simeon, and the other 10 patriarchs that the tribes of Israel were named after were long dead.

Here's what's going on:

The 12 tribes of Israel were named after the sons of Jacob (their births in Genesis 30). One of those sons, Joseph, ended up in a high position in Egypt despite a lot of extremely unfortunate events and invites his family to live with him to save them from drought and live prosperously in Egypt (Genesis 46). Generations pass (meaning all those patriarchs have died), a new pharaoh takes over who hates the Israelites, and the stage is set for Moses's story (Exodus 1). Exodus 1:6 specifically says that Joseph and all his brothers had died.

By the time of the events in Joshua, Moses has already led these people out slavery in Egypt, is dead, and the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob have inhabited the land God promised them - more or less (lots of wrestling over the land is happening at this point). The region is eventually won by the Israelites and divided into 12 territories, one for each tribe that traces its lineage back to a son of Jacob (Joshua 14).

So...

Long story short, by the events you're referencing in Judges 1, Judah and Simeon have been dead for a long time. The name "Judah" at this point refers to the descendants of Judah, and "Simeon" refers to the descendants of Simeon. Referring to the group of people by the name of their well-known ancestor was common at the time.

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