Bible -- Commentaries; Bible -- Feminist criticism; Women in the Bible
Hon. Andrew D. White, formerly President of Cornell University, shows
us in his great work, "A History of the Warfare of Science with
Theology," that the Bible, with its fables, allegories and endless
contradictions, has been the great block in the way of civilization.
All through the centuries scholars and scientists have been imprisoned,
tortured and burned alive for some discovery which seemed to conflict
with a petty text of Scripture. Surely the immutable laws of the
universe can teach more impressive and exalted lessons than the holy
books of all the religions on earth.
ELIZABETH CADY STANTON.
January, 1898.
THE BOOK OF JOSHUA.
Joshua ii.
1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy
secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and
came into a harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men
in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men
that are come to thee which are entered into thine house: for they be
come to search out all the country.
4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them and said thus, There
came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were.
5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate when it
was dark, that the men went out; whither the men went I wot not; pursue
after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
This book gives an account of the final entrance of the children of
Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua was the successor of Moses, and
performed the same miracle in parting the waters of the Jordan that
Moses did to enable his people to pass through the Red Sea. He was
seven years fighting his way into the land of Canaan, where he spent
the closing years of his life in peace.
There is mention of two women only in this book, though a casual
reference is again made to the daughters of Zelophehad, as described in
a former chapter.
In saving the spies from their pursuers, Rahab made them promise that
when Jericho fell into the hands of Joshua, they would save her and her
kinsmen. From the text, it seems that Rahab fully understood the spirit
of her time, and with keen insight and religious fervor, marked
characteristics of women, she readily entered into the plans of the
great general of Israel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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