Rahab Rahab, a prostitute and a woman of faith, remains enigmatic centuries after her brief appearance in Israel’s history. Because she placed her faith in Israel’s God and helped the two Israelite scouts who came to her house, her life was spared when Israel captured Jericho. Because Rahab’s house stood on the wall of the city, Joshua’s scouts went there when they entered Jericho. Rahab might have been an innkeeper as well as a prostitute; other documents from the Old Testament era record women innkeepers who were also prostitutes. If Rahab’s house was in fact an inn, it would have been a reasonable destination; Joshua’s scouts could hope they would not attract unwanted attention. Rahab’s arrangement with the scouts was a stirring declaration of faith in Yahweh, Israel’s God (Josh 2:8-21). As a Canaanite woman, Rahab would have practiced the fertility cult of Baal, god of the storm and life-giving rain, and of his consort Asherah, the mother earth goddess. Yet based on reports of Israel’s progress toward her land, Rahab recognized that Yahweh, the God of Israel, is “the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below” (2:11). After Joshua’s conquest of Jericho, Ra...

Joshua Joshua, son of Nun, was Moses’ assistant and successor as Israel’s leader. Joshua brought the young nation across the Jordan River into the Promised Land of Canaan, faithfully following God’s leadership. Before Israel reached Mount Sinai, Joshua led Israel’s warriors when Amalek attacked Israel (Exod 17:8-13). Shortly thereafter, he was among the twelve men Moses sent to scout the Promised Land (Num 13:1-16). Against popular opinion, Joshua and Caleb urged Israel to occupy Canaan immediately (Num 13:22–14:9), and as a result, of the twelve spies, only they entered Canaan (Num 14:30, 36-38). God directed Moses to designate Joshua as his successor (Num 27:15-23; Deut 34:9). After Moses died, Joshua led Israel across the Jordan River (Josh 1:1-18; 3:1–4:24) to the conquest of Jericho (6:1-27). When Israel suffered defeat at Ai, Joshua turned to the Lord and followed his instructions to purge Israel of sin (7:1-26); then Israel conquered Ai (8:1-29). Following God’s instructions to Moses (Deut 11:29-32; 27:1–28:68), Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal (Josh 8:30-32) and read the blessings and curses of the covenant (8:33-35). Joshua conducted campaigns against two coali...