Caleb
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- For other meanings of the word Caleb or Kalev see Caleb (disambiguation)
Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, is an important figure in the Hebrew Bible, noted for his faith in God when the Hebrew nation refuses to enter the "promised land" of Canaan.
When the Hebrews came to the outskirts of Canaan, the land they believed had been promised them by God, after having fled slavery in Egypt, Moses (the Hebrew leader) sent twelve scouts (or spies, meraglim in Hebrew) into Canaan to report on what was there--one spy representing each of the twelve (landed) tribes. Ten of the scouts returned to say that the land would be impossible to claim, and that giants lived there who would crush the Hebrew army. Only two, Joshua (from the tribe of Ephraim) and Caleb (representing Judah), returned and said that God would be able to deliver Canaan into the hands of the Hebrew nation.
The Bible records that, because of the testimony of the ten scouts, the Hebrews chose not to enter Canaan: for this disobedience, God caused them to wander in the desert for forty years before being allowed to enter Canaan and conquer it as their home. It is said that the only adult Hebrews allowed to survive these forty years and enter Canaan were Joshua and Caleb, as a reward for their faith in God. This story is recorded in the Book of Numbers.
He is mentioned again later, being more than 80 years old, talking about his thankfulness for God's blessings. (Joshua 14:6-11) The city of Hebron and its surrounding territory was assigned to him. He then declared that the one who conquered Debir (Kiriath-Sepher) should be given his daughter Achsah as a wife. The one winning this prize was his nephew Othniel, who later became the first judge after Joshua (Joshua 15:13-19).
As outlined in The Jewish Encyclopedia, Caleb exists on several levels. At the most basic level, "Caleb" signifies "dog" and may be the eponymous ancestor of the Calebite clan. At this level, his second "wife" Ephrath (I Chronicles ii. 19 and 50; iv. 4) may simply be a personification of the ancient Canaanite city of that name, awarded to the clan.
Tradition places Caleb's tomb near that of Joshua who, according to Joshua 24:30, is buried in Timnat Serah ( also known as Timnath-heres). The similarly named Palestinian village of Kifl Hares, located northwest of Ariel in the Samarian region of the West Bank, now encircles both tombs.
