“Israel Served the Lord”: The Book of Joshua as Paradoxical Portrait of Faithful Israel

Chapter Two: The Stories of Rahab and Achan

25 two The Stories of Rahab and Achan The stories of Rahab and Achan will serve as the first locus of our investigation into the tensions in the book of Joshua and the purpose that these tensions serve within the narrative. I have grouped these two stories together because of the way in which they can be seen to function as mirror images of each other, as a number of scholars have observed.1 In the first, the character of Rahab offers a surprising contrast with the dire warnings against Canaanites as representatives of idolatry in the book of Deuteronomy. Contrary to Dtr’s basic portrayal of the Canaanites as a threat, Rahab serves as the agent of YHWH’s deliverance of the spies, confirming YHWH’s promises to Israel by her dramatic break with our expectations about the function of Canaanites in the story of Israel’s settlement. This spurs us to further investigate the narrative role of her character and the purpose of this subversion of expectations. The second story, recounting Achan’s theft of goods placed under the h .erem, provides a grim rather than triumphant glimpse into Israel’s "Israel served the lord" 26 early days in the land. In contrast to the wonder of YHWH’s unexpected mercy through the fidelity of a Canaanite, we encounter the careless and unthinking infidelity that Achan’s lust for plunder inspires. At the same time, the story offers a meditation on the methods and presuppositions of the ensuing divine justice that is enacted in Israel’s midst, turning treason into a reminder of Israel’s appropriate response to divine wrath, and turning Israel toward the perennial possibility— and responsibility—of repentance. As a pair, the stories demonstrate for Israel the possibility of fidelity without and treachery within, warning against deceptive appearances while schooling Israel in the art of seeking out and identifying YHWH’s often surprising work on its ­ behalf. Illicit Oath or Covenant Ally? The Paradox of Rahab the Canaanite With its cast of a prostitute and two spies who use deception and a questionable oath to achieve their respective ends, the story of Rahab in Joshua 2 has proved both fascinating and bothersome to interpreters . As Jerome Creach so enthusiastically phrases it, “The narrative has suspense, sexual innuendo, and an underdog who triumphs—everything a modern audience expects in a great story!”2 Yet these same features that make the account in Joshua 2 a “great story” in modern eyes have also presented some exegetical challenges. The tale presents us with two potentially significant problems: first, the role of Rahab in the story—namely, how does the forthright identification of Israel’s deliverer as a Canaanite prostitute function in the account; and second, the possible violation of Deuteronomic law by the oath the spies make to her—specifically, does the oath conflict with the prohibitions on making covenants with or showing mercy to Canaanites set forth in Deuteronomy 7? With regard to the first tension, I will argue that Rahab’s identification as a Canaanite and a prostitute functions primarily to highlight YHWH’s surprising acts on behalf of Israel, provoking the spies’ exclamation, after they have reported their narrow escape, that “YHWH has surely given the land into our hands!” (Josh 2:24). In dealing with the second tension, I will propose that the oath made by the the stories of rahab and achan 27 spies in fact “fits into the gaps” of the Law rather than violating it, demonstrating an exception to the h .erem for a YHWH-honoring Canaanite who allies herself with Israel. In short, Israel’s choices and actions in this chapter, though they may be unexpected, are not unfaithful—and YHWH acts within the story by equally improbable means. Previous Readings of Rahab Ironically, but perhaps unsurprisingly, early Jewish and Christian interpreters found fewer problems with this text than have modern­ historical-critical readers. Because these early interpreters read the story within the broader framework of creative inner-scriptural exegesis and assumptions about the unity of Scripture, with an eye for the story’s application to the life of contemporary religious communities, they had more tools and objectives at their disposal for making sense of it. Premodern interpreters, as it turns out, gave the majority of their attention to the figure of Rahab. A few early Christian readers wrestled with the ethical consequences of the lie she uses to protect the spies, but most ultimately praised her as an example...