When Moses celebrated the last great act of his miraculous mission on Mount Tabor, within view of the city of Jericho, he appointed Joshua, the most experienced of the great captains of the host, and Eleazer, the high priest, as rulers over a people he himself had found it so difficult to govern. From that memorable epoch, to the peace of forty years, which followed the taking of Canaan from Jabin, the annals of Israel were steeped in blood; and the conquest of Jericho, which opened the land of promise to the descendants of Abraham, was effected under such cruel circumstances, as proved that the predatory habits, and “forty battles” of the Hebrews, had done little for the interests of humanity, or civilization.

When Jericho fell, no sex, no age, no rank, was spared by the exterminating sword of the merciless besiegers: all were put to death, save one woman and her family—an humble woman, of the lowest class, and not of the best repute, who, having received two wayfaring strangers under the protection of her roof, refused to give them up to the tardy suspicions of the government, thus saving the lives of her guests at the risk of her own.

These stranger guests of the generous Rahab were the Jewish spies, who returned safely to their camp, with that valuable information, which, as far as human science went, gave the victory to Joshua.