Rahab the Prostitute: a History of Interpretation from Antiquity to the Medieval Period

Rahab the Prostitute: A History of Interpretation from Antiquity to the Medieval Period Irving M. Binik Department of Jewish Studies McGill University, Montreal April, 2018 A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts © Irving Binik 2018 Abstract Rahab the Canaanite prostitute saves the two spies who were sent by Joshua to reconnoiter Jericho in preparation for the impending Israelite invasion. In recompense for her actions, Rahab and her family are saved from the destruction of Jericho and are allowed to live among the Israelites. This thesis investigates the history of interpretation of the Rahab story from antiquity to medieval times focusing on textual, narrative and moral issues. It is argued that an important theme in the history of interpretation of the Rahab story is its message of inclusiveness. Le résumé Rahab, la prostituée Cananéenne, sauve la vie des deux espions qui avaient été envoyés par Joshua en reconnaissance en vue de l’invasion Israélite imminente de la ville de Jéricho. En guise de récompense pour son aide, Rahab et sa famille sont épargnées et autorisées à vivre parmi les Israélites après la destruction de Jericho. Ce mémoire retrace l’historique de l’interprétation de l’histoire de Rahab de l’Antiquité au Moyen-Age, et ce en se penchant sur les problématiques textuelles, narratives et morales qui sont en jeu. L'importance de la thématique de l’inclusion dans l’interprétation de l’histoire de Rahab est tout particulièrement mise de l'avant. ii Table of Contents Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………………1 Chapter 1: Introduction…………………………………………………............................2 Chapter 2: Inner-biblical Interpretation Plot…………………………………………………………………….................... 4 Setting……………………………………………………………………………… 8 Characterization………………………………………………………......................11 Narrative Point of View……………………………………………………………. 14 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….. 17 Chapter 3: Translations and Paraphrases from the Graeco-Roman Period Translations Septuagint……………………………………………………………………. 20 The Peshitta…………………………………………………………………...27 The Vulgate…………………………………………………………………...28 Translations Summary……………………………………………………….. 29 Paraphrases Josephus……………………………………………………………………… 29 Samaritan Book of Joshua…………………………………………………… 32 Paraphrase Summary………………………………………………………… 33 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………. 34 Chapter 4: Midrashic Interpretation Elaborating on the Story…………………………………………………………… 35 Life History……………………………………………………...................... 35 Rahab’s Profession…………………………………………………………... 36 Appearance…………………………………………………………………... 37 Marital Status, Descendants and Lineage……………………………………. 37 Divinely Inspired……………………………………………………………. 38 Personality…………………………………………………………………… 39 Meaning of Rahab’s Name…………………………………………………... 39 The Spies…………………………………………………………………….. 40 Theological Implications of the Rahab Story YHVH’s Miracles and Glory…………………………………………….. 40 Repentance……………………………………………………………….. 42 Conversion………………………………………………………………... 44 Why was Rahab Saved?.............................................................................. 46 Hermeneutical Techniques…………………………………………………………. 47 Summary……………………………………………………………………... 51 Midrashic Motivation………………………………………………………………. 52 Chapter 5: Early Christian Interpretation New Testament…………………………………………………………………….. 61 Book of Mathew: The Genealogy of Jesus…………………………………... 61 Epistle to the Hebrews: An Example of Faith……………………………….. 63 Book of James: The Importance of Good Deeds…………………………….. 65 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………… 66 Patristic Interpretation……………………………………………………………… 66 iii Moral Elaboration of Rahab’s Character and Actions……………………….. 67 Rahab’s Profession……………………………………………………….. 67 Hospitality……………………………………………………………... 68 Faith and Good Deeds…………………………………………………. 68 Lying…………………………………………………………………... 69 Meaning of Rahab’s Name…………………………………………….. 70 Foreshadowing the New Testament………………………………………….. 71 Rahab the Prophet………………………………………………………72 The Red Cord…………………………………………………………...72 Rahab as a Symbol of the Church……………………………………... 72 Methods of Patristic Interpretation……………………………………………73 Comparison with Midrashic Interpretation…………………………………... 75 Summary…………………………………………………………………………… 77 Chapter 6: Medieval Jewish Commentaries Rashi………………………………………………………………………………... 79 Radak………………………………………………………………………………. 84 Ralbag……………………………………………………………………………… 91 Abravanel…………………………………………………………………………... 95 Chapter 7: Conclusion Textual Problems…………………………………………………………………... 101 Perceived Gaps in the Biblical Story……………………………………………... 102 Moral and Theological Issues…………………………………………………….. 103 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………….109 iv Acknowledgments I am deeply indebted to my supervisor, Dr. Barry Levy, without whom I would never have undertaken or completed this project. Barry’s enthusiasm, support and “noodging” provided me with the impetus to go back to school while still being a full-time faculty member. In addition, his teaching and supervisory skills rekindled my interest in Jewish studies and provided me with the incentive to persevere. I am very thankful that Barry was always available to answer my questions and point me in the right direction. Until recently, I never thought I would complete the thesis or an MA. Now, I’m trying to figure out how to continue my Jewish studies. As someone who has supervised many graduate students, I feel very fortunate to have been a supervisee of Dr. Levy. I am also deeply indebted to my wife, Helen who has been teaching me to write for my entire professional life. She first taught me how to write “psychologese” for research articles in my field. She did such a good job at this that when I started my MA, I could not write in a style appropriate for the humanities and she had to teach me how to write all over again. Helen painstakingly read every word I wrote and helped me rewrite my jargon filled and overly concise prose until the ideas were expressed clearly and appropriately. Without her support, insightful comments, questions and challenges to my thinking, I would have been able to produce something understandable. I would also like to thank my daughter, Ariella, and son-in-law, Ryan for reading many of the chapters and providing very useful feedback. I am also grateful to my daughter, Rebecca and son-in-law Francis for their support, interest and comments. For the last few years, my family has been very patient with my activities related to writing this thesis which they described as “Rahabing.” Many thanks are also due to my research assistant, Marina who helped me gather, xerox and scan the materials related to this thesis. I am indebted to the many wonderful teachers I have had both in Jewish Studies and in Psychology; there is nothing more motivating than a good teacher. Finally, I would like to thank my father, may his memory be for a blessing, who transmitted to me a love for Jewish learning. He filled our house with Jewish books and always encouraged me to pursue Torah lishmah. 1 Chapter 1: Introduction Across the centuries, the story of Rahab and the spies has both perturbed and fascinated biblical commentators. Rahab the Canaanite harlot saves the Israelite spies, is exempted from YHVH's injunction to destroy all the local inhabitants, and becomes a member of the Israelite tribe. For the devout, who take the story as a faithful recounting of history, it is troubling that a prostitute is the heroine of a narrative introducing the conquest of the Promised Land. The non- devout are not troubled by such theological difficulties and instead enjoy the story’s titillation and suspense. They are, however, concerned about the purpose and meaning of this story since it is a digression from the main conquest narrative and appears to add little, if anything, to the primary message of the Book of Joshua that YHVH is fulfilling his promise to the descendants of Abraham. This thesis reviews the history of interpretation of the Rahab story from antiquity through the medieval period. It critically summarizes the major strands of interpretation in the biblical, Graeco-Roman, Midrashic, early Christian and medieval Jewish literatures. This choice of periods is based on a classification of the major eras of biblical interpretation proposed by Levy.1 The order of presentation of the chapters is chronological and is motivated by the historical approach underlying the thesis. Within each chapter, however, a combination of thematic and historical criteria is used to facilitate presentation of the material. A final chapter summarizes the major approaches to the interpretation of the Rahab story and critically examines the evidence for an underlying theme. It is the contention of this thesis that much of the history of interpretation of the Rahab story has reflected an ongoing theological discussion of the regulation of relationships between Jews and others. As compared with other biblical tales, the Rahab story takes a more inclusive view of the integration of non-Israelites into the Chosen People. Rahab, a Canaanite, a woman, and a prostitute, may arguably be the most "other" of biblical characters, yet she and her family are spared and invited to join the Israelites. It is not surprising, therefore, that commentators’ reactions to this inclusivity are an important part of the history of interpretation of the Rahab 1D22:#7:A #8(3'34#23.%4'# 2#"&#G #253+#,C2(,A(-02#024(.-HD 2 story. Although other important themes will be discussed, this thesis focusses on the Rahab story

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