Rahab's Story

I wasn't sure what I wad expecting when I bought the book. But I read it within 48 hours and it's been a while since I have done that. My mind wanders really easily, but this was so good and captivating to say the least. It was a wonderful read and I recommend 10 times over.

Ann Burton writes this novel about Rahab, one of the lesser mentioned heroines of the Bible, as it might have happened. Rahab is the daughter of a rugseller, and her mother was a secret Israelite,Jezere. Rahab secretly cherishes her mother's Judaism, that she taught her, together with her little sister, Tezi. But Rahab is driven from her home, by the evil stepmother, Helzbah, on false charges. She must try to survive on the merciless streets of Jericho, and must become a prostitute, in The House of Palms, in order to survive. Here we learn about the other prostitutes who live here, all of whom have had hard and brutal lives, and we come to understand something of their plight. Rahab always keeps her faith alive in the G-D of Israel, in a city where the worship of the Death god Moloch, and the cruel mass sacrifice of children is the order of the day. She must always hide the fact that she is an Israelite, due to the deep hatred of Jews by the Canaanite population. When she comes across two Jewish spies, for Joshuah, her life is changed, as it were. Here she must take her role in the destiny of the reclaiming of the Nation of Israel of their ancient land. Some things clash with different interpretations of the Biblical account, for example here she marries Salme, whereas in some Jewish accounts she marries Joshuah himself. Also an interesting touch is, how the other prostitutes in the House of Palms, are saved as her family, together with her father and sister. The essence of the novel remains true however to the basic spirit of the Biblical account. The discussion guide at the end of the book reveals some interesting points for thought, such as the existence of prostitution, and the fact that many such women or girls are driven into prostitution to survive, or because of other harsh circumstances. The return of the Israelites to their homeland in Canaan, is also compared to the return of the Jews to their ancient homeland of Israel, after centuries of exile. An interesting detail involves Rahab's Jewish maternity. History has revealed that Jewish enclaves remained in Canaan, during the centuries of Egyptian enslavement, and these people later rejoined their brethren returning from Egypt.

This is the second Ann Burton Women of the Bible books that I've read and it didn't disappoint. Rahab's story was compelling. The fact that Rahab became a prostitute and yet was able to overcome her adversity made for a wonderful tale. The description of the House of Palms and the women who live there was facinating. It was also interesting to discover that the stigma of protitution was not always general. We come to understand how the women in the House of Palms came to be there, how they have made a home for themselves and how they become a close knit family that helps each other. Through Rahab's integration into the group, we understand and have compassion for these women. They each have their own stories to tell. Rabab's integrity and courage as well as her compassion and understanding for her father who disowned her shines through in Burton's strong narrative voice. Rahab becomes a heroine to admire in this wonderful story. An added bonus to me is the explanation within the story of how the walls of Jericho came down.

I was really surprised at what a great book this was! It wasn't written to make Rahab look like a sweet church lady. She was a real person in the Bible, a prostitute. There were no soft frilly illistrations to describe her life. The author did a great job describing her profession without being too revealing or leaving out important details. These women lived hard lives. When I read about the walls of Jehrico comming down I will never think of it the same way again. I am fascinated too how God uses not so perfect people to carry out his perfect plans. And Rahab! what can I say? I'm so glad to know that God loved her and used her to bring his plans to fruition.

It's very obvious that Ann Burton did a great deal of research before she wrote Rahab's Story. I LOVED it from beginning to end! She takes an already wonderful story and expands it through her imagination without ruining its Biblical credibility. After finishing, I read Joshua 2 in the Bible and Ann Burton helped me "flesh out" some of the details which could have been entirely possible. Now I can't wait to read more of Burton's Women of the Bible series! I HIGHLY recommend Rehab's Story!

I read this book in less than 48 hours. I read the first one and can not wait for the next in the series.