Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down
I remember singing the Sunday school song as a little girl. The story is a powerful one recounting God’s appointment of Joshua to lead the Israelites into Canaan. He promised them that they would be victorious over the Canaanites and gave them the following instructions:
“So the people shouted and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpets, they raised a great shout, and the wall fell down flat; so the people charged straight ahead into the city and captured it.” Joshua 6
I couldn’t wait to visit the location of the famous battle of ancient Jericho and to explore the oldest continuously inhabited city on the planet. Our archaeologist also explained that it was the lowest city in the world at 800 feet below sea level.
An elevated dusty path reached a covered outpost where our tour group gathered to learn more about this fascinating archaeological site. Our guide and archaeologist, Mark Ziese, provided us an overview of the ancient site of Jericho and informed us that we were standing at the top of the Tel (archaeological mound). From here, we could see Mt. Nebo, the final resting place of Moses. The bright red aerial trams suspended in mid-air above us brought visitors to the Mount of Temptation. Located northwest of Jericho, this location is where Jesus was said to have been tempted by Satan (Matthew 4: 1- 11).
Three Jerichos exist today to include the New Testament Jericho, the modern day city and the ancient ruins of Tell Es-Sultan. It is not surprising that God, who loved the Israelites, would give them the Jordan Valley. Jericho is warm all year around and was an oasis of freshwater springs, perfect for crops such as barley, wheat and olives.
Primary excavations of Jericho were conducted from 1952 to 1958 by world renowned archaeologist, Kathleen Kenyon. Using the method of stratigraphy, which includes dating the layers of civilization, she uncovered twenty-three layers at the site. Research continues as a collaboration between Palestine and Italy are providing insights into the lives and customs of the ancient societies who had settled here.
Much debate had surrounded the event that Jericho’s walls fell down during the time of Joshua. When archaeologist Kenyon excavated the site, she determined that there was no evidence that supported the biblical event. She concluded that the site did not exist during the time that the Israelites would have conquered Jericho in the late 15th century because at that time, the city did not exist (Kenyon, 1957). However, we have now learned that she had misdated her findings and the destruction has been confirmed to have taken place at the end of the 15th century, coinciding with the biblical account (Wood, 1990).
In addition to the falling walls of Jericho, Joshua 6:24 describes another event that occurred when the Israelites “burned the whole city and everything in it.” Charring was documented on the rocks from the walls and floor as well as fire damage to jars of grain as a result of the fire set by the Israelites. During the Italian-Palestinian excavation of 1997, it was found that on the east side of the tell, a portion of the city had been burned.
The burnt jars of grain also supports the biblical story as the narrative explains that the attack took place during the harvest season which would have occurred during spring (Joshua 2:6, 3:15 and 5:10) and that it happened so quickly that the Canaanites would not have had the opportunity to bring food along with them (Joshua 6:1).
The site of Jericho was overwhelming with history spanning several decades. With supporting archaeological evidence, the biblical significance of the site coincides with Joshua’s story of Jericho. So many aspects of the story are verified through scientific research and the archaeological discoveries are further proof of the Bible’s validity.
Have you visited the ancient site of Jericho? What were your thoughts as you strolled through the Oldest City in the World? I would love to hear about your experience if you would kindly leave a message in the comments section below. Many thanks for reading about my memorable journey to Jericho and wishing you many Happy Travels!
What to See and What to Do:
Tell es-Sultan
Coordinates: N31 50 16 E35 20 55
Tel Jericho
Telephone: +970 2 2321909
Where to Stay:
Crowne Plaza Dead Sea
Ein Bokek, Dead Sea
Telephone: 08 659 1919
This hotel was luxury at its best. Built along the shores of the Dead Sea, the Crowne Plaza offers a wide range of luxury services.
Where to Eat:
Crowne Plaza Dead Sea
Ein Bokek, Dead Sea
Telephone: 08 659 1919
Each night we were provided a vast buffet of options to include local cuisine as well as European selections as well.
What to Eat:
- Kubbeh is similar to falafal in that it is served in a ball but made with meat and spices then deep fried.
- Manqusheh is similar to pizza made with flatbread topped with olive oil and spice (usually za’atar which is similar to thyme)
- Ka’ak is a large pretzel like pastry that is usually eaten at breakfast time. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, they are readily available at bakeries and roadside stalls.
- Potato swirls are similar to french fries, cut and deep fried.
- Qatayef is a pancake-style dessert stuffed with cheese, nuts or sugar and spices and are popular during the Ramadan holiday
- Kunafeh is a pastry similar to baklava covered in syrup and cheese
What to Read:
- Khirbet Khizeh by S. Y. Yizhar
- The Hilltop, by Assaf Gavron
- Dancing Arabs by Sayed Kashua
- The People of Forever are Not Afraid, by Shani Boianjiu
- Five Seasons, by A.B. Yehoshua
- Twenty-One Stories by S. Y. Agnon
- Suddenly, A Knock on the Door by Etgar Keret
- Apples from the Desert, by Savyon Liebrecht
- From the Four Winds, by Haim Sabato
- To the End of the Land, by David Grossman
- A Tale of Love and Darkness, by Amos Oz
Photo Guide for Israel:
- The Western Wall for a religious experience
- Jaffa’s Old Town for its charm
- The Dead Sea for its interesting topography
- Caesarea Harbor and its Roman architecture and history are worth a visit
- Arbel National Park and Nature Reserve provides a phenomenal view of the Sea of Galilee
- The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Old City Jerusalem is said to be the burial location of Jesus
- The view of the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives