How and why did a beautiful “harlot” help Joshua conquer the idol-worshipping, walled Canaanite city of Jericho soon after the formerly enslaved Hebrews crossed the River Jordan? Surely a guardian angel must have been at her side.

In the mid-1200s BCE, smart, heroic innkeeper Rachab, the direct maternal ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ, is inspired by her wise grandmothers, her father’s Cushite slaves, and their daughter—an angel—to reject the cruel customs of idol worshippers. Rachab’s courage and wisdom lead her to save her extended family in an exciting, eye-opening exodus.

Based on the Hebrew Bible, various religions’ oral and written traditions, and the latest works of historians, archeologists, and theologians, The Faithful Harlot follows the Canaanites on their Exodus from paganism to belief in a loving, singular Creator God.

Elizabeth Clifford Murphy, a Brooklynite, has been a writer, senior editor, managing editor, and consultant at several Manhattan publishers, including Harcourt Brace where she met her husband, artist Thomas Murphy. Under her executive directorship, Pike County Arts & Crafts earned the prestigious Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for the Arts.

Elizabeth has taught for over forty years (so far), from college level to kindergarten, for public schools and prisons in New York and in Virginia. She is working on the biblical fantasy series The Harlot and the Mouse.The Murphys devote themselves to tikkun olam. They have two sons and four grandchildren and travel extensively, especially to the holy land of Ireland. Her website is elizabethcliffordmurphy.com