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Rahab (; ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible in Joshua 2:1-24, a who resided within Jericho in the Promised Land and assisted the Israelites by hiding two men who had been sent to scout the city before their attack.
In the New Testament, she is lauded both as an example of a saint who lived by faith, and as someone "considered righteous" for her good works. According to biblical research, the author intended that she did not contribute to the fall of Jericho, but instead saved herself and her family from death at the hands of the Israelites.Sherwood, A. A leader's Misleading and a Prostitute's Proffession: A Re-examination of Joshua 2, JSOT, 31, 1, 2006, 43-61Zakovitch, Y. Humor and Theology or the Successful Failure of Israelite Intelligence: A literary-Folkloric Approach to Joshua 2, Text and Tradition, S. Niditch (3d.), Atlanta, Georgia, 1990 75-98
The King James Version renders the name as Rachab after the Koine Greek spelling, which differs from the spelling for Rahab in the Epistle of James and the Epistle to the Hebrews. Most modern Bible translations render it as Rahab, ignoring the distinction.
Josephus mentions that Rahab kept an inn but is silent as to whether merely renting out rooms was her only source of income.Josephus. The Antiquities of the Jews. 5.1.2. Hosted at Wikisource. It was not uncommon for both an inn and a brothel to operate within the same building; thus entering Rahab's quarters was not necessarily a deviation from Joshua's orders. Indeed, as Robert Boling notes, such an establishment might have represented an ideal location for Spy to gather intelligence. Several scholars have noted that the narrator in Joshua 2 may have intended to remind the readers of the "immemorial symbiosis between military service and bawdy house".
In the New Testament, the Epistle of James and the Epistle to the Hebrews follow the tradition set by the translators of the Septuagint in using the Greek word πόρνη pórnē, which is usually translated to English as "harlot, prostitute", to describe Rahab. James 2:25, 1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament. Hebrews 11:31, 1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament. Joshua 2, Greek Septuagint (LXX).
William L. Lyons observed that biblical interpreters have viewed Rahab as a model of hospitality, mercy, faith, patience, and repentance in her interaction with Joshua's spies. The harlot of Jericho became a paragon of virtue.Lyons, William L. (July 2008). "Rahab through the Ages: A Study of Christian Interpretation of Rahab". Society of Biblical Literature Forum.
Rahab told the spies:
After escaping, the spies promised to spare Rahab and her family after taking the city, even if there should be a massacre, if she would mark her house by hanging a red cord out the window. Some have claimed that the symbol of the red cord is related to the practice of the red-light district.
When the city of Jericho fell, Rahab and her whole family were preserved according to the promise of the spies and were incorporated among the Jewish people. According to some rabbinic authorities, Rahab was treated as a beautiful captive woman in order to bring her into a marital union with Israel. (In siege warfare of antiquity, a city that fell after a prolonged siege was commonly subjected to a massacre and sack, while others were taken captive.)
Tikva Frymer-Kensky regards Rahab as "smart, proactive, tricky and unafraid to disobey and deceive her king". She also credits Rahab with being "one of Israel’s early saviors" due to "her allegiance to God and Israel". As the first non-Israelite person, and in particular the first woman, to ally with Israel, Rahab's convictions led her to protect the men sent by Joshua despite her background.
Michael Coogan says the book of Joshua, more than any other book of the Bible, contains short etiological narratives that explain the origins of religious rituals, topographical features, genealogical relationships, and other aspects of ancient Israelite life, and that the legend of Rahab is such an example. The story of Rahab would therefore provide an answer as to how a Canaanite group became part of Israel in spite of the Deuteronomistic injunction to kill all Canaanites and not to intermarry with them.Coogan, Michael (2009). A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament. Oxford University Press. pp. 162–164.
Some scholars see the parallels between Joshua 2 and Genesis 19, which narrates the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah. Like Sodom and Gomorrah, Jericho was presumed to be equally as wicked, with Rahab challenging Jericho's "oppressive establishment" by siding with Jericho's destroyers (i.e. the Israelites). Coincidentally, these cities were believed to lie among a major fault line extending 1,100 kilometers from the Red Sea to Turkey. (1995). 9780195090949, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195090949
A similar tradition has Rahab declaring, "Pardon me by merit of the rope, the window, and the flaxen the."
Because of this, rabbis interpret Biblical verses that talk about the citizens of Jericho "melting in fear", such as and , as describing their inability to maintain erections upon hearing Israelite military victories. Rahab knew this because "there was no minister or prince that did not pay a visit to Rahab the harlot".
The rabbis viewed Rahab as a worthy convert to Judaism, and attested that following her conversion, Rahab married Joshua, "Eccl. Rabbah 8:10:1" and their descendants included the prophets Jeremiah, Hilkiah, Seraiah, Mahseiah, Baruch, Ezekiel and the prophetess Huldah, although there is no report in the book of Joshua of the leader marrying anyone, or having any family life. "Joshua ben Nun". Jewish Virtual Library. Accessed 25 January 2021. Rahab often is mentioned alongside Jethro (Yitro) and Na'aman as "positive examples" of the converts who joined Israel, "Rahab". JewishEncyclopedia.com. Accessed 25 January 2021. and another midrash has Rahab acting as an advocate for all nations of the world.Assis, Elie (2004). "The Choice to Serve God and Assist His People: Rahab and Yael". Biblica. 85 (1): 82–90. Baskin, Judith (1979). "The Rabbinic Transformations of Rahab the Harlot". Notre Dame English Journal. 11 (2): 141–157.
Some believe that the genealogies described in and served to dispel accusations that Jeremiah and Ezekiel were descendants of Rahab. At the time, the Israelites discriminated against these prophets for this alleged heritage.
A different spelling of the name, Rachab (as transliterated in the King James translation of the Greek Ῥαχάβ) is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew as one of the ancestors of Jesus (). She married Salmon of the Tribe of Judah and was the mother of Boaz. Most other English Bibles transcribe her name as Rahab.
Some have conjectured that Jesus invoked the name of “Rahab” (רחב) by writing it in the sand when he protected the adulteress from stoning (John 8:6). Through this act he would have reminded the hypocritical Pharisees of the righteous prostitute in their own ancestry.
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