Achsah

Achsah was the daughter of Caleb, the only one of Israel's twelve spies who entered the Promised Land. When the time came to conquer Kiriath-sepher (Debir), Caleb promised his daughter in marriage to whoever would take the city. Othniel — Caleb's younger brother or nephew, who would later become Israel's first judge — captured Kiriath-sepher, and Achsah was given to him as wife (Joshua 15:16-17; Judges 1:12-13).

The brief story that follows is one of scripture's clearest pictures of a woman successfully petitioning for what she needed. Achsah came to her new husband and urged him to ask her father for a field; then, dismounting from her donkey in Caleb's presence, she asked directly herself: Thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. Caleb gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs — both — and the deal was sealed (Joshua 15:18-19; Judges 1:14-15).

The transaction is unusual on three counts. First, she comes directly to her father with a substantial economic ask. Second, she gets exactly what she requested — and then some, since she asked for springs and received both upper and lower. Third, the text records the exchange twice (Joshua and Judges) with nearly identical wording — a level of repetition reserved for moments the narrator wants remembered. Her name appears once more in 1 Chronicles 2:49 in the Calebite genealogy.