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CALEB (Heb. keleb, " dog ")

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Originally appearing in Volume V04, Page 986 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CALEB (Heb. keleb, " See also:dog ") , in the See also:Bible, one of the spies sent by See also:Moses from Kadesh in See also:South See also:Palestine to See also:spy out the See also:land of See also:Canaan. For his courage and confidence he alone was rewarded by the promise that he and his See also:seed should obtain a See also:possession in it (Num. xiii. seq.). The later tradition includes See also:Joshua, the See also:hero of the See also:conquest of the land. Subsequently Caleb settled in Kirjath-Arba (See also:Hebron), but the See also:account of the occupation is variously recorded. Thus (a) Caleb by.himself drove out the Anakites, giants of Hebron, and promised to give his daughter Achsah to the hero who could take Kirjath-Sepher (Debir). This was accomplished by See also:Othniel, the See also:brother of Caleb (Josh. xv. 14-I9). Both are "sons" of Kenaz, and Kenaz is an Edomite See also:clan (Gen. See also:xxxvi. Iz, 15, 42). Elsewhere (b) Caleb the Kenizzite. reminds Joshua of the promise at Kadesh; he asks that he may have the " See also:mountain whereof Yahweh spake," and hopes to drive out the giants from its midst. Joshua blesses him and thus Hebron becomes the See also:inheritance of Caleb (Josh. xiv. 6-15).

Further (c) the See also:

capture of Hebron and Debir is ascribed to See also:Judah who'gives them to Caleb (Judg. i. Io seq. 2o) ; and finally (d) these cities are taken by Joshua himself in the course of a See also:great and successful See also:campaign against South Canaan (Josh. x. 36-39). Primarily the clan Caleb was settled in the south of Judah but formed an See also:independent unit (I Sam. See also:xxv., See also:xxx. 14). Its seat was at See also:Carmel, and See also:Abigail, the wife of the Calebite Nabal, was taken by See also:David after her See also:husband's See also:death. Not until later are the small divisions of the south See also:united under the name Judah, and this result is reflected in the genealogies where the See also:brothers Caleb and See also:Jerahmeel are called " sons of Hezron " (the name typifies nomadic See also:life) and become descendants of JUDAIT. Similarly in Num. xiii. 6, xxxiv. 19 (See also:post-exilic), Caleb becomes the representative of the tribe of Judah, and also in c (above) Caleb's enterprise was later regarded as the See also:work of the tribe with which it became incorporated. b and d are explained in accordance with the aim of the See also:book to ascribe to the See also:initiation or the achievements of one See also:man the conquest of the whole of Canaan (see JosnuA).' The See also:mount or See also:hill-See also:country in b appears to be that which the Israelites unsuccessfully attempted to take (Num. xiv. 41-45), but according to another old fragment Hormah was the See also:scene of a victory (Num. xxi.

1-3), and it seems probable that Caleb, at least, was supposed to have pushed his way northward to Hebron. (See JERAHMEEL, See also:

KENITES, See also:SIMEON.) The genealogical lists See also:place the earliest seats of Caleb in the south of Judah (I Chron. ii. 42 sqq.; Hebron, Maon, &c.). Another See also:list See also:numbers the more northerly towns of Kirjath-jearim, See also:Bethlehem, &c., and adds the " families of the See also:scribes," and the Kenites (ii. 50 seq.). This second move is characteristically expressed by the statements that Caleb's first wife was Azubah (" abandoned," See also:desert region)—JeriOth (" See also:tent curtains ") appears to have been another—and that after the death of Hezron he united with Ephrath (v. 24 Bethlehem). On the details in i Chron. ii., iv., see further, J. See also:Wellhausen, De Gent. et Famil. Judaeorum (1869) ; S. See also:Cook, See also:Critical Notes on 0. T.

See also:

History, See also:Index, s.v.; E. See also:Meyer, Israeliten, pp. 400 sqq.; and the commentaries on See also:Chronicles (q.v.). (S. A.

End of Article: CALEB (Heb. keleb, " dog ")

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