Our Gemara on Amud Beis declares:
הָכִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ לֹא מֵת
Rabbi Yoḥanan said as follows: Our patriarch Jacob did not die.
The Gemara then follows with an odd comment regarding the famous harlot turncoat, Rachav, who lived in the wall of Jericho, and assisted the Jewish conquerors (Yehoshua 2).
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Anyone who says: Rahab Rahab, immediately experiences a seminal emission, due to the arousal of desire caused by Rahab’s great beauty.
Ben Yehoyada asks what is the connection between the sugya of Yaakov and Rachav? He notes that both of them have their name repeated (see Bereishis 46:2, Rashi), implying a certain endearment. Borrowing from his observations, I will take the answer in a different direction.
Obviously, when the Gemara says Yaakov did not die, they Do not mean it literally. The Gemara itself expresses incredulity that he can literally be alive. (Although Rashi seems to hold that the Gemara remained with its position that Yaakov indeed was literally alive, see Maharsha who learns it in a non-literal sense.) Without any deep mystical Explanations, I think it’s fair to say that we are talking about on some level the power of his influence and even the presence of his soul, which still ultimately is about the power of his influence and effect on us. (For more on this, see Mei HaShiloach, Vayechi.)
If so, a parallel to Rachav can be made. Just as we say that Yaakov is still very much alive to us, because we conjure up his image in our mind and the example he said for us, if not even something deeper like we can actually feel his presence, so too is the story with Rachav. That is, the power of her personality and her sensuality was incredibly arousing so that even thinking about her became as if she was there. As we often find, the powers that reside within a person's soul can be used either for good or evil. Rachav had similar powers to the patriarchs and matriarchs. Eventually even it was put to good use because we are taught in Gemara (Megillah 14b) then she converted and married Yehoshua, with many illustrious descendants including Hulda, one of the few female prophetesses.
Any of us who have lost a dear loved one knows that they live on in our hearts and that it is more than just figurative. There is some literal way that we feel their souls and their influence upon us.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation 
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