Rahab the Harlot--Wattys Awards

Prologue

A rustling noise caused Rahab to look behind her in fear.

"Look out!" At least that's  what she thought she heard. A huge stone whizzed past her head striking a huge brown bear's forehead about thirty feet beyond her.

Instinct caused her to run for safety  in the direction of an older boy dressed  in sheep skins  in contrast  to  the Tyrian purple-colored linen dress she was wearing. His desert tan, his club, and big knife in his leather  belt and shepherd's  crook told her he was Hebrew.

Rahab's father said there were thousands of Hebrews near Mount Sinai, where they  gathered to worship a god whose  very image they were forbidden  to portray.

What was more important  to Rahab as she screamed in hopes that travelers in her small caravan would hear her from their camp beyond  the scrubby desert rise between them. 

As she found temporary safety behind her new protector, she could hear the approaching voices from the caravan beginning to move in their direction.  She looked toward the hill and back to see the confident shepherd boy dislodging another huge stone from the sling he had been twirling above his head. His accuracy was dead on as it again struck the dazed bear in his temple.

The shepherd boy pointed to a cleft in the nearby rocky hill. This time Rahab was better able to understand the brave, older boy, who had no reason to risk his own life to help Canaanite girl. After all, Rahab's mother and father said Hebrews and Canaanites had been enemies since a number of their warriors had emerged from Kadesh-Barnea in a futile attempt to invade their fertile Land thirty years before.

"Hide there. If the bear gets me, you may be safe until your people get here."

As the now-angrier bear recovered from being stunned  by the shepherd's stones, he raised his shepherd's crook as he approached on his hand legs with paws spread. Rahab was amazed at her handsome, strange  friend took no thought for his own life as he thrust the crooked staff by the bears head, catching his neck. The surprised bear had nowhere to go but down as his brave but small opponent heaved with all his might. He pulled the bear down with a mighty crash.

By that time Rahab's heart was filled  with  hope as her people came armed to her rescue.  Out of  the  corner of her eye  she saw  the shepherd  boy bring his club down hard on the back of the wild beast's head.

At that time Rahab's people  were  closing in with their weapons. The bear ignored them for the moment and raked the boy's body with his powerful paws as he fell forward on the boys crude iron knife. The  bear's weight pinned  the boy just as Rahab's  rescuers grabbed it.

They made short work of what was left of the beast with their sickle swords and clubs while  three others pulled him free.

Rahab was then tended by her mother Donatiya and other women. They dusted her off her purple robe.

"Are you hurt, my dear Rahab?"

"No, mother, what about the Hebrew boy?"

They held their breath as they noticed him covered with  blood. Then he groaned while not regaining consciousness.

"I don't  know, child. He's badly mauled by the bear and bleeding."

"You have to save him, mother. He saved me." Rahab walked over to the  young boy, who lay beside the dead beast. "Father, what do  you  intend to do with the Hebrew boy  who just saved my life?"

Yassib smiled as he looked down at  his daughter, unwrapping his headdress  which he used to keep  out desert dust. ""What do  you  think we do with enemies, my precious Rahab?"

"A Hebrew boy who saves my life in spite of  my being a Canaanite  could never be my enemy, father."

"He can be your slave, my daughter."

"Why can't  we free him to return to his people, my wise father?"

Yasdib nodded to the other  men.  Pulling off his red linen robe, he stood in his light brown tunic. Then he draped his robe over the boy.

"Take this Hebrew boy to our tent where we will pour oil on his wounds and bind them up."

Yassib looked to Rahab. "If we take him to his people, they will kill  us. If we leave him to die, they will hunt for us and kill  us."

"What then, father?"

"The Hebrew boy must go to  Egypt with us where  he will be your servant during your sacred temple training. From now on he's your responsibility  to  do with  as your youthful wisdom guides you."

Rahab then hugged and kissed  her father Yassib for allowing her young savior to live.

"Now, father, let's go see if my new, handsome friend will live."

By daylight the Canaanite caravan had struck its colorful tents and had resumed Its journey toward Egypt.