Who was Rahab the harlot in the Bible?

Answer 1

One of the most famous episodes in the biblical conquest of Canaan was the assault on the city of Jericho. Joshua had the priests march around the city walls and Yahweh caused the walls to collapse, allowing the Hebrews to storm the city. However, we now know from archaeologists that there was no city at Jericho at that time.

As a prelude to the attack on the city, Joshua sent two spies, who found refuge with the harlot, Rahab, who in turn made a covenant to be spared when the attackers slaughtered her fellow citizens (Joshua chapter 2). Now, even if there really had been an assault on Jericho, this is an improbable story, since the spies risked their lives but provided no information of value and were unlikely to do so. But there was no Jericho, so there were no spies and no harlot - the spy story just did not happen and we can only surmise how it arose.

An early Semitic deity was named Rahab, and we know that this deity found its way into Hebrew folklore as a sea dragon that was defeated by Yahweh*. However, these allusions are too dissimilar to the innkeeper/harlot of Joshua. Perhaps the simplest answer could lie in that the name Rahab (or Rachab) is very similar to the Hebrew verb rāhab, generally translated as either 'to beset, storm or assault,' or 'to be proud/arrogant'. If Joshua was about to storm or assault Jericho, would this have given rise to the fictional harlot's name, Rahab?

Footnote*For example Isaiah 51:9 and Psalms 89:9-10, with indirect references at Ezekiel 29:3, Ezekiel 32:2 and Psalms 87:4.

AnswerRahab was an actual woman who lived in Jericho. The presence of scarlet thread in her home suggests she was involved in making or dyeing of cloth. She hid Joshua's spies among the flax on the rooftop, thus saving their lives. They promised to spare her life in return, and she was to mark her house with thread of scarlet as a sign.

She later became the mother of Boaz, who was Jesse's grandfather - the line which eventually included Christ.

A:Rahab was the harlot who, in the Book of Joshua, aided the spies whom Joshua sent into Jericho before his assault on the city of Jericho. Rahab made a covenant to be spared when the attackers slaughtered her fellow citizens.

Now, even if there really had been an assault on Jericho, this is an improbable story, since the spies provided no information of value, and were unlikely to do so. But archaeologists tell us there was no Jericho, so there were no spies and no harlot - the spy story just did not happen and we can only surmise how it arose. The simplest answer could lie in that the name Rahab (or Rachab) is very similar to the Hebrew verb rāhab, generally translated as either 'to beset, storm or assault,' or 'to be proud/arrogant'. If Joshua was about to storm or assaultJericho, this could have given rise to the fictional harlot's name, Rahab.