CALEB

CALEB means dog; a crow, a basket; capable;

The son of Jephunneh (Numbers 13:6; 32:12; Joshua 14:6,14). He was one of those whom Moses sent to search the land in the second year after the Exodus. He was one of the family chiefs of the tribe of Judah. He and Joshua the son of Nun were the only two of the whole number who encouraged the people to go up and possess the land, and they alone were spared when a plague broke out in which the other ten spies perished (Numbers 13; 14). All the people that had been numbered, from twenty years old and upward, perished in the wilderness except these two. The last notice we have of Caleb is when (being then eighty-five years of age) he came to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, after the people had gained possession of the land, and reminded him of the promise Moses had made to him, by virtue of which he claimed a certain portion of the land of Kirjath-arba as his inheritance (Joshua 14:6-15; 15:13-15; 21:10-12; 1 Samuel 25:2,3; 30:14). He is called a "Kenezite" in Joshua 14:6,14. This may simply mean "son of Kenez" (Numbers 32:12).

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.
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.

Caleb was the father of Hur from Caleb's second wife, Ephrath ( 1 Chron. 2:19. Hur held up the arm of Moses so the battle could be won. Hur was the husband of Miriam, sister to Moses and Aaron.

Rahab married on of Caleb's sons, thus starting the house of David leading to the Birth of Jesus. Boaz, one of Rahab's sons married Ruth.

Although the son of Jephunneh, Caleb is also called "the Kenizzite" (Josh.14:6, 14; compare Judges 1:13), because Kenaz, the father of Othniel, was his stepfather; Othniel thus being in fact his half-brother.

The Jewish Dictionary, Rabbinical Literature, says Caleb is the same person as Asher (1 Chron. 4:5; 1 Chron. 2:24) "Ashhur," because his face became black from much fasting, and "father of Tekoa" because he fastened his heart on God, and in this faith he married the prophetess Miriam, whom, although she was neither fair nor healthy, he treated with fatherly love, appreciating her own piety and her relationship to such brothers as Moses and Aaron. (I don't find where Caleb and Miriam were married; only that she was married to Hur, Caleb's son. Therefore he would treat her with fatherly love).

1Ch 2:24
2:24 And after that Hezron was dead in {h} Calebephratah, then Abiah Hezron's wife bare him Ashur the {i} father of Tekoa.
(h) Which was a town named for the husband (Caleb) and wife (Ephratah), also called Bethlehem Ephratah.(i) Meaning, the chief and prince. (Historic Church Documents at Reformed.org )

God's blessings to each of you,
LJG

SOURCES: King James Bible, Easton's and Smith's Bible Dictionary, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Answers.com