Under Gods Command
Joshua 8:02 You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city”
Why did God allow the Israelites to keep the plunder and livestock this time? Israel’s laws for handling the spoils of war covered two situations. (1) Cities like Jericho which were under God’s ban (judgment for idolatry) could not be looted (see Deuteronomy 20:16-18). God’s people were to be kept holy and separate from every influence of idolatry. (2) The distribution of plunder from cities not under the ban was a normal part of warfare. It provided the army and the nation with the necessary food, flocks and weapons needed to sustain itself in wartime. Ai was not under the ban. The conquering army needed the food and equipment. Because soldiers were not paid, the loot was part of their incentive and reward for going to war.
Under Gods command 