Danny ChaiThe NIV has a footnote for Joshua 2:1 (and anywhere else they mention Rahab), where it says “So they went and entered the house of a prostitute* named Rahab and stayed there.” The footnote? * – Or possibly an innkeeper.
Crikey. Isn’t that kind of a critical distinction? Prostitute vs. housekeeper? If the alternative translation is true, we’ve been maligning Rahab for millenia. Egads. Not that my name will ever be recorded anywhere, but I’d hate for that kind of mistake to be made about me. “They befriended a crack dealer* named Danny.” (* – Or possibly programmer.)
I’ve been reading and very much enjoying this blog on Slate, where a not-too-observant Jew is reading through the Bible, much for the first time. What I like is that his insights are fresh, from someone who’s vaguely aware of what’s in there but it’s largely new stuff. Plus his background is Jewish which adds another interesting spin on it. I dunno, I just find what people think about the Bible very interesting.
Incidentally, he mentions the book A.J. Jacobs is working on, where he’s trying to obey the Bible as literally as possible for a year, noting that’s he’s heard that Jacobs is carrying a portable stool everywhere so he never has to sit where a menstruating woman has been. It’s no wonder why Henry likes A.J. Jacobs so much. Our humor in college was basically seeing how far we can push something. That’s basically Jacobs’ writing style. Seeing how much he can outsource. Reading the entire Encyclopaedia Brittanica. Obeying the whole Bible. I’m looking forward to the book also.