Rahab: a prostitute and unlikeliest hero of the Old Testament

Canaanite woman doesn’t fit the mold of those usually praised by Biblical writers

1734 fresco at the Wallfahrtskirche Maria Hilf in Klosterlechfeld, Germany: “The prostitute Rahab saves the lives of the spies in Jericho.” Community Commons license via Wikimedia.

Of all the Old Testament heroes, Rahab may be the unlikeliest of all.

The story of Rahab is told in Joshua 2 and 6, where Rahab, a prostitute and innkeeper, plays a vital role…