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Rahab

Rahab is a figure in the Hebrew Bible associated with Jericho during the Israelites’ conquest of Canaan. In the Book of Joshua she is described as a resident of Jericho, often rendered as a prostitute or innkeeper in various translations. The story presents her as a person of faith who plays a crucial role in aiding the Israelite spies.

According to Joshua 2, Rahab hides two Israelite scouts on her roof, deceives the king’s men, and

After Jericho’s destruction, Rahab and her family are spared. She later marries Salmon, and they become the

In the New Testament, Rahab is cited as an example of faith accompanied by works (Hebrews 11:31;

helps
the
spies
escape
by
letting
them
down
through
a
window
with
a
scarlet
cord.
She
asks
that
she
and
her
family
be
spared
when
Jericho
is
attacked,
and
the
spies
promise
safety
to
all
who
stay
inside
her
house
and
display
the
scarlet
cord.
parents
of
Boaz.
Boaz
and
Ruth
are
ancestors
of
David,
placing
Rahab
in
the
genealogies
that
lead
to
the
royal
line
and,
in
Christian
tradition,
to
Jesus.
She
is
named
in
Matthew
1:5
as
an
ancestor
of
David
and
therefore
of
Jesus.
James
2:25).
Interpretations
emphasize
her
as
a
foreign
woman
who
joins
the
people
of
God
through
acts
of
hospitality
and
faith.
Scholarly
and
theological
discussions
often
note
the
blend
of
narrative
elements,
the
themes
of
inclusion
and
conversion,
and
questions
about
historical
details
within
the
Jericho
episode.