became the ancestress of eight prophets and of the prophetess
Huldah. (12) She had opportunity in her own house of beholding
the wonders of God. When the king's bailiffs came to make their
investigations, and Rahab wanted to conceal the Israelitish spies,
Phinehas calmed her with the words: "I am a priest, and priests are
like angels, visible when they wish to be seen, invisible when they
do not wish to be seen." (13)

After the return of the spies, Joshua decided to pass over the
Jordan. The crossing of the river was the occasion for wonders, the
purpose of which was to clothe him with authority in the eyes of
the people. Scarcely had the priests, who at this solemn moment
took the place of the Levites as bearers of the Ark, set foot in the
Jordan, when the waters of the river were piled up to a height of
three hundred miles. All the peoples of the earth were witnesses of
the wonder. (14) In the bed of the Jordan Joshua assembled the
people around the Ark. A Divine miracle caused the narrow space
between its staves to contain the whole concourse. Joshua then
proclaimed the conditions under which God would give Palestine
to the Israelites, and he added, if these conditions were not
accepted, the waters of the Jordan would descend straight upon
them. Then they marched through the river. When the people
arrived on the further shore, the holy Ark, which had all the while
been standing in the bed of the river, set forward of itself, and,
dragging the priests after it, overtook the people.

The day continued eventful. Unassailed, the Israelites marched
seventy miles to Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, and there
performed the ceremony bidden by Moses in Deuteronomy: six of
the tribes ascended Mount Gerizim, and six Mount Ebal. The