Joshua is pleased with the service of the tribes east of Jordan (Reuben, Gad, 1/2 Manassah) and he dismisses them to their homes. Their vow for military service is complete.
Across the Narrow Sea (I.e., Jordan River), the same tribes build a new altar to God. This backfires and the other western tribes move to attack the eastern tribes. They remember all the craziness about following other gods and the plagues that God sent. The western tribes do not want to be blamed for any bad things the eastern tribes do to the point of civil war.
Fortunately, cooler heads prevail.
Phinehas, the son of head priest Eleazor, leads a delegation to figure out what is going in the east.
The eastern tribes say that this altar is not a substitute altar for the Tabernacle altar that Moses built. The altar will not be used as sacrifices, but as a memorial to remind the generations east of the river that they have a right to worship God.
The logic sounds strange to me, but it convinces Phinehas and war is averted. Why have a memorial altar? I guess maybe because in that culture, animal sacrifices were the main thing. I think that is actually kind of analogous of Christians today wearing crosses as a symbol of the relationship of God with them.
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