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 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.

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

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