The text reports that Joshua’s army “destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys” (Joshua 6:21). Only Rahab, a prostitute, and her family were spared because they had sheltered Israelite spies ahead of the siege. (A children’s book in my home provides a G-rated version of the story, explaining that Rahab was able to help because she “often had visitors coming and going at odd hours.”)
