Your question touches several key issues.
The Bible is not literal history. Its primary intention is religious; each account was a religious story designed to influence the communities that belonged to the writers and to the editors (redactors). Most of the writing took place during the 8th to 5th centuries BCE, and the religious politics of the respective groups influenced their own accounts. For example, the writings of the priests who had an allegiance to Moses wrote accounts that had a different slant to those whose allegiance was towards Aaron. And as the copying process continued, each generation modified the texts according to their own beliefs.
During the Persian Period (5th to 4th centuries), action was taken to amalgamate the varying writings, resulting in the amalgum that has been passed down. As an example, the Creation myths at Genesis 2 (the account that was written earlier) and at Genesis 1 were written and handed on by different groups. Skilful weaving during the Persian period has almost hidden that there are two different Flood myths.
When you get to Joshua, you are in another territory, and I suggest you immerse yourself into the Documentary Hypothesis as well as into the Deuteronomic History. (Joshua is part of that history which owes its existence from the actions taken by the priests during 6th century neo-Babylonian Captivity. That history includes Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and so on.)
The general Late Iron Age populace would not be in a position to compare the varying accounts. Firstly, they could not read; secondly, they would only be told the stories produced by their immediate religious leadership.
Given the diversity of the material being passed on (and reinterpreted in the process), it is amazing that the people of the 5th to 4th centuries BCE (Ezra and his ilk) were able to produce documents that are so skilfully woven.
A couple of books (read widely, of course): "Who Wrote The Bible?", Richard Elliott Friedman; and "How the Bible Became a Book", William Schneidewind. Then read books by people who disagree in certain respects with these authors. Also research the Canonisation process.
Doug