ANIMADVERSIONES The Choice to Serve God and Assist His People: Rahab and Yael The stories of Yael (Judg 4,17-22) and Rahab (Josh 2) share the common theme of a gentile woman assisting an Israelite man (1). Rahab saves two Israelite spies from the King of Jericho (Josh 2), and Yael kills Sisera while he attempts to escape from Barak (Judg 4,17-22). These two stories are connected in a web of analogies (2). I will first present this structural network, and then disclose its meaning; finally, I will discuss the meaning of each story in light of the differences between the analogous stories. 1. Analogy between Rahab and Yael (1) In both cases a gentile woman unexpectedly assists Israel (3). Rahab is a harlot and a citizen of Jericho. Her clear and overt statement of belief in God is surprising (Josh 2,9-11), as is the courageous assistance — endangering her own life — which she provides to the Israelite spies (Josh 2,4.15-16). Yael belongs to the clan of the Kenites, who maintain good relations with Israel and with Canaan (Judg 4,11.17). Nevertheless, her intervention in favor of Israel is surprising and her elimination of Sisera, the Canaanite general of Canaan, is a noteworthy act. (2) The spies find shelter in Rahab’s house, while Sisera seeks shelter in Yael’s tent. Rahab hides the men so they will not be caught by the king’s soldiers (Josh 2,4.6), and Yael covers Sisera with a blanket and appears to hide him from Barak (Judg 4,18.19). At this point the stories part ways: Rahab hides the spies and saves them; Yael hides Sisera but kills him and saves Israel. (3) In the two stories a man relies on a woman who pretends to offer help; both women use trickery. Rahab tells the King’s soldiers that the spies have already left and encourages the soldiers to chase after them (Josh 2,5). The soldiers believe her, but the spies are actually hiding in the house (Josh (1) Zakovitch thinks these stories belong to a narrative type which he calls “A Woman Who Rescues a Man”. See Y. ZAKOVITCH, “Humor and Theology or the Successful Failure of Israelite Intelligence: A Literary-Folkloric Approach to Joshua 2”, Text and Tradition. The Hebrew Bible and Folklore (ed. S. NIDITCH) (Atlanta 1990) 79. But the stories treated here share a stronger conection as in both the women are foreign women who come to help Israel. (2) Nelson has indicated the similarity of these stories but only briefly and generally. R.D. NELSON, Joshua. A Commentary (OTL; Louisville 1997) 43 and n. 9. (3) Klein believes that Yael was an Israelite who married a Kenite, and acted in favor of her people’s interests and not in the interests of her husband, L.R. KLEIN, The Triumph of Irony in the Book of Judges (Bible and Literature Series 14; Sheffield 1988) 43. However, there is no indication that Yael was not a Kenite. Others have disputed this opinion, see B.G. WEBB, The Book of the Judges. An Integrated Reading (JSOTSS 46; Sheffield 1987) 137; J.W.H. BOS, “Out of the Shadows: Genesis 38; Judges 4:17-22; Ruth 3”, Semeia 42 (1988) 37.