Rages is often mentioned in the Bk. of Tol)it. Tobit left there ten talents of silver (1''' 4'), ami Tobias, accompanied by the angel Raphael, started for Rages in quest of this deposit, which was finally recovered by the angel (5^ 0"- ''■' 9-). Accord- ing to .Itli 1°" Ragau ('Payai', evidently another form of H'lgi-s) was the scene of the decisive battle in which Nebuchadnezzar ' king of the As,syrians ' defeated and slew Arphaxad the Median prince. It is possible that in the story of Arphaxad we have a distorted reminiscence of the overthrow and capture of Frawartish. A. H. SAYCii.
RAGUEL.— 1. The AV form (LXX •Pa-yowiX), in Nu lo'", of Reuel. See Hodah and Jktiiro. 2. The father of Sarah, the wife of Tobias, To 3'- "• " 14''^. The name, which is the same ivs the Ileb. licucl, occurs as that of an angel in Enoch xx. 4.
RAHAB (Dcn, "PcuJ/S).— The heroine of the ad-
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RAHAB
EAIIAB
venture of the spies sent by Joshua to ascertain the strength of Jericho and the feeling of the people there. The story of her reception of the two young men, and the clever devices by which she liides them, contrives their escape, and balUes the pursuit ordered by tlie king of Jericho, is told in Jos 2, assigned by critics to JE (vv."- " D-), and exhibiting all the ease and grace of that narrative, all its power of delineating life and character. A few lively tou''hes bring the whole scene vividly before us, and suggest much that is not told in detail. We see the house on the wall, probably near the gate of the city, and convenient for resort, certainly convenient for escape. On the roof are drying stalks of lla.\, an indication of the inmate's busy toil, possibly of a particular trade. Here she dwells alone, but she has a father and mother, and brothers and sisters residing in the town. She is a harlot, for the word .■iiii applied to her (LXX wipvri; Vulg. 'meretrix) refuses to be softened down to 'innkeeper' (Josephus, Chrj's., Chald. VS), but she may have combined with this unhappy calling the more honourable occupation of wea\ing and dyeing. She had evidentlj' been brought into communication with the outside world, and had heard of events going on beyond the Jordan, which had caused the terror of Israel to fall upon the inhabitants of Canaan. She was convinced that the God of the Hebrews would open a way for His people into Jericho. In this belief she obtained a promise from the spies of protection for herself and family in return for her help. A scarlet line hanging Irom the window by which they had escaped was to be the sign that the house, with all its inmates for the time, should be spared. The Israelites would be guiltless of the blood of any member of Kahab's family caught outside the house.
Joslma kept the agreement to the letter (Jos gi7.22. 23--.a)_ j^„d tijg narrative states 'and she dwelt in the midst of Israel unto this day.'
* A nation's gratitude long preserves the names of those who by opportune information open for a besiefjing host the path to victory' (Ewald, who cites a parallel insUince soon to follow, jg 122. '26^ ana illustrates from profane history, HI U. '247, Enjf . tr. ). In fact the conduct of Itahab was recojpiized with gratitude and kept long in memory by Jew and Christian alike. Accord- ing to a rabbinical tradition she married Joshua himself, and became the ancestress of seven prophets (Lightfoot, norue Heb. ad itt 15). Christian estimates of her worth are even more remarkable. One NT writer places her in the roll of the heroes of faith (He 1131), another quotes her as justitied by works (Ja -S^). Clement of Rome declares she was saved through her faith and her hospitality, and claims for her the gift of prophecy, since the scarlet line foretold redemption by the bloo<l of Christ {ad Cor. i. 1'2). The same allegorical interpretation is assumed by all ancient ecclesiastical writers (seeJacobson, PaX, Ap., who cites Just. Mar. Tryph, cxi. ; Iren. iv. *20. V2 ; Origen, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Theodoret). None of these writers, any more than the NT, think it necessary to change 'harlot' into 'innkeeper' with Josephus and Chry- Bostom. Irenffius, in his reference to her, recalls how publicans and harlots were admitted into the kingdom of heaven. We know nothing of her after-conduct, but we may well believe that the faith which an apostle cotild praise waa accompanied bv a true conversion.
As to Ilahab's lie to the king, and her betrayal of her own countrymen, all that need be said is, that while neither can be approved, both may be extenuated by her situation.
The most interesting question in connexion with this woman arises from the mention of a Ra)inb ('Paxii/3) in the genealo":y of Mt P 'And Salmon begat Boaz of Kahab' (RV), which thus makes her an ancestress of our Lord. The patristic age seems to liave taken the identification with Kahab of Jericho for granted. I5ut in the 11th cent. Theo- phylact could write, 'There are some who think Rachab to be that Rahab the harlot who received the spies of Joshua the son of Nave.' A Dutch professor, G. Outhov, urged ditliculties in the way of identitication (in the Biblioth. Brem. hist, philul. Thcol. ch. iii. p. 438), and was answered by Wolf (Cur. philol. et crit. in Mt 1°). That the 'Pod/j of the