1. Disguise and Deception: The Gibeonites disguised themselves as travelers from a distant land, wearing old clothes, carrying worn-out bags and sandals, and baking stale bread.
2. Feigning Ignorance: They told Joshua and the Israelites that they had traveled a long way, having heard of the Israelite's great reputation and power. They pretended to be unaware of Israel's campaign to conquer Canaan.
3. Trickery and Covenant: They asked for a peace treaty and presented old, worn-out bread and wine as proof of their long journey. This made the Israelites believe they were harmless travelers and they made a covenant with them, vowing not to harm them.
4. Consequences: The Israelites later discovered that the Gibeonites were actually from Canaan and had deceived them. However, because of the covenant they had sworn, they were bound to keep it. They were spared from destruction, but forced into servitude as "woodcutters and water carriers" for the Israelites.
This story is found in the book of Joshua in the Hebrew Bible (Joshua 9).