Rahab the Convert and the Prophets Descended From Her

"For we have heard how the LORD dried up... and no spirit remained in any man before you" (Joshua 2:10-11). And it is written, "And it came to pass when all the kings of the Amorites heard... that no spirit remained in them" (Joshua 5:1). Why the difference - there it is written "no spirit remained in them," and here "no spirit rose up"? To teach us that they could not even rise to arousal. How did she know? As the master said: there was no prince or ruler who had not come to Rahab the harlot. They said: she was ten years old when Israel went out of Egypt, and she practiced harlotry the entire forty years that Israel was in the wilderness. At the end of fifty years she converted. She said before Him: Master of the universe, with three things I sinned before You - in menstrual impurity, in the dough offering, and in kindling - with three things forgive me: with the rope, the window, and the wall, as it is said, "And she let them down by a rope" (Joshua 2:15). And what reward did she receive for this? Rabbi Eliezer says, she merited that eight prophets and priests came forth from her, and these are they: Jeremiah, Hilkiah, Seraiah, Mahseiah, Baruch son of Neriah, Hanamel, and Shallum. And it is written, "and the families of the house of those who worked fine linen [butz], of the house of Ashbea" (I Chronicles 4:21) - these are the sons of Rahab the harlot, who hid the spies in flax [butz]; "of the house of Ashbea" because the spies swore [nishbe'u] to her. Rabbi Yehuda says, even Huldah the prophetess was among the descendants of Rahab, as it is said, "And Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah" (II Kings 22:14), and it is written, "behold, we are coming into the land, this hope [tikvah]..." (Joshua 2:18). And are these matters not a fortiori? If one who was from a people of whom it was said "you shall let none survive" (Deuteronomy 20:16), because she drew herself near, the Omnipresent drew her so near, then Israel who perform the Torah how much more so. There are pious women, converts: Hagar, Asenath, Zipporah, Shiphrah, Puah, the daughter of Pharaoh, Rahab, Ruth, and Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite.