Rahab

Rahab

Rahab, (Heb. רחב "rachav"; i.e., "broad," "large") was, according to the book of Joshua, a woman who lived in the city of Jericho in the Promised Land and originally worked as a prostitute.

Introduction

In Jericho, a prostitute named Rahab assisted Israelite spies by hiding them from the local authorities. The spies, in return for her protection, promised to save her and her family during the planned military invasion as long as she fulfilled her part of the deal by keeping the details of the contact with them secret and leaving a sign on her residence that would be a marker for the advancing soldiers to avoid. She keeps her word by hiding the spies when the city guard came to her house looking for them; they kept their word by sparing her family after taking the city: they recognized Rahab's house by a red cord hanging from her window. After the people of Israel conquered Canaan she left prostitution, joined the Jewish people, and became a respectable married woman. She is the subject of a discussion in one section of the Talmud.

In the Old Testament

According to the book of Joshua (): ) and good works (, signifying "the proud one."

In fiction

* Burton, Anne. "Rahab's Story". ISBN 0-451-21628-8; a fictionalized account of Rahab's early life and meeting with the Hebrew spies, Book 2 in Burton's "Women of the Bible" series.

* Rahab appears as a character in Robert A. Heinlein's 1984 novel "".

* Rahab is depicted as a virtuous soul (in The Third Circle of Heaven) in The Divine Comedy of Dante.

ee also

*Hooker with a heart of gold
*Red light district

External links

* [http://www.askmoses.com/article.html?h=254&o=2114844 Rahab] at Ask Moses .com
* [http://www.debed.com/Bible/comments/rahab-the-harlot.html questions] about Rahab's actual profession.

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • RAHAB — (Heb. רָחָב), the prostitute (Heb. zonah – see below), mentioned in the Book of Joshua as a central figure in Joshua s conquest of Jericho (Josh. 2–6). When Joshua sent two of his men to Jericho on a reconnaissance mission, they came to the house …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Rahab — aidant les deux espions de Josué. Rahab est une héroïne biblique du Livre de Josué. Prostituée à Jéricho, c est elle qui accueille les deux espions envoyés par Josué, les cache, et a la vie sauve lors de la destruction de la ville. Lorsque des… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Rahab — name of a Biblical monster, from Heb. rahab, lit. storming, against, impetuous, from rahabh he stormed against (Cf. Arabic rahiba he feared, was alarmed ) …   Etymology dictionary

  • Rahab [1] — Rahab, in der Bibel Name für Unterägypten, od. das Delta, od. auch ganz Ägypten …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Rahab [2] — Rahab, öffentliche Dirne in Jericho; nahm in ihrem Hause die von Josua ausgesandten Späher auf u. verbarg dieselben vor der Nachforschung des Königs dieser Stadt, weshalb sie mit ihren Verwandten allein nach der Eroberung Jericho s durch die… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Rahab — (1. Sept.), eine früher unzüchtige und heidnische, später gläubig gewordene Frau, bei welcher die von Josue ausgesendeten Kundschafter Schutz gefunden haben. Bei der Zerstörung Jerichos blieb sie in dem Hause ihres Vaters, mit Allem was sie hatte …   Vollständiges Heiligen-Lexikon

  • Rahab — Rahab,   im Alten Testament 1) Name eines Chaosungeheuers aus altorientalischen Schöpfungsmythen (ähnlich Leviathan), von Gott am Schöpfungstag besiegt (z. B. Hiob 9, 13; 26, 12; Psalm 89, 11); auch symbolische Bezeichnung für Ägypten (z. B.… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • RAHAB — vide RAAB …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Rahab — Schlacht um Jericho Rahab (hebräisch: ‏רָחָב‎, rāḥāb) ist im Alten Testament der Name der Frau, die nach dem Bericht von der Einnahme und Zerstörung Jerichos durch die Israeliten (Jos 2 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Rahab —    Insolence; pride, a poetical name applied to Egypt in Ps. 87:4; 89:10; Isa. 51:9, as the proud one.    Rahab, (Heb. Rahab; i.e., broad, large ). When the Hebrews were encamped at Shittim, in the Arabah or Jordan valley opposite Jericho, ready… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

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