The latest issue of the Bulletin for Biblical Research arrived in yesterday’s mail and includes: Joshua Philpot, “Exodus 34:29–35 and Moses’ Shining Face” Edward Bridge, “The Metaphoric Use of Slave Terms in the Hebrew Bible” Gregory Goswell, “Joshua and Kingship” Gregory Wong, “A Farewell to Arms: Goliath’s Death as Rhetoric against Faith in Arms” David DeSilva, “The Human Ideal, the Problem of Evil, and Moral Responsibility in 4 Maccabees”
[caption id="" align=“alignright” width=“150” caption=“Rahab Helping the Two Israelite Spies (Image via Wikipedia)”] [/caption] After assuming leadership over Israel ( Josh 1:10–18), Joshua commissions two men to survey Jericho and the surrounding area ( Josh 2:1a). Rather tersely, then, the menוילכו ויבאו בית־אשׁה זונה ושׁמה רחב וישׁכבו־שׁמה ( Josh 2:1b; went and entered the house of a prostitute, whose name was Rahab, and they lodged there). For onlookers, such an action might not have been unusual in itself, 1 but by some means or other, the king became aware of these Israelite’s intent to survey Jericho ahead of some forthcoming military action ( Josh 2:3). ...