Editing Rahab (section)

{{short description|Biblical figure}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
[[File:Tissot The Harlot of Jericho and the Two Spies.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Rahab (''center'') in [[James Tissot]]'s ''The Harlot of Jericho and the Two Spies''.]]
'''Rahab''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|eɪ|h|æ|b}}; {{langx|hbo|רָחָב|Rāḥāḇ}}) was, according to the [[Hebrew Bible]] in [[Joshua 2]]:1-24, a [[Canaan]]ite 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]],<ref name=Hebrews>{{bibleverse||Hebrews|11:31|NKJV}}</ref> and as someone "considered [[righteous]]" for her [[good works]].<ref name=James>{{bibleverse||James|2:25|NIV}}</ref> 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.<ref>Sherwood, A. A leader's Misleading and a Prostitute's Proffession: A Re-examination of Joshua 2, ''[[JSOT]]'', 31, 1, 2006, 43-61</ref><ref>Zakovitch, 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</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rahab meaning |url=https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Rahab.html#.XwTa5hNKjBJ |publisher=Abarim Publications}}</ref>