One of the two spies who reported positively about the Land of
Israel. Reprinted with permission from Who's Who in the Hebrew
Bible (The Jewish Publication Society). Caleb son of Jephunneh,
of the tribe of Judah, was one of the twelve men sent by Moses
to spy the land of Canaan and report back about its cities and
its inhabitants; to find out if they were strong or weak, few or
many; and to bring back the fruit of the land. The spies went
and scouted the land--from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near
the entrance to Hamath. Forty days later they returned to the
camp carrying pomegranates, figs, and a branch that had a bunch
of grapes on it so heavy that it took two men to carry it on a
pole between them. Their report turned out to be disheartening
and defeatist. "We came to the land you sent us to; it does
indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However,
the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities
are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the Anakites
there. Amalekite