Located on the West Bank of Palestine, the city of Jericho is renowned for being home to the oldest continuously inhabited human settlement in the world, with archaeologists having uncovered over 20 different layers of habitation dating back 11,000 years!
The Ancient City of Jericho in the Bible
The Seven Trumpets of Jericho by James Tissot.
The Lord said to Joshua: “See, I have handed Jericho over to you, along with its king and the soldiers. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets in front of the Ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
The ancient city of Jericho is well-known from the biblical story where God commanded Joshua to destroy the city because its inhabitants were disobedient to Him. However, the city’s history dates back to about 8000 BC when it was occupied during the Natufian period, making its architectural remains the oldest man-made structures on Earth.
The Battle of Jericho is an astonishing tale, featuring descriptions of the Ark of the Covenant and the trumpets used as weapons under Joshua’s command and the direct orders of God. It was not just a simple battle; these weapons were so powerful that they could entirely destroy a city in seven days. Except for a harlot—who was believed to have betrayed her people—and her family, all living beings perished. The city was then cursed by Joshua to never be rebuilt. Nevertheless, it has been rebuilt multiple times since that event.
Jericho was a heavily fortified city with enough food and water to sustain itself for months. It would have taken months—or even years—to destroy such a city, yet according to the Bible, Joshua accomplished it in just seven days. Ancient astronaut theorists have argued that some advanced weaponry, possibly supplied by extraterrestrial intervention, was utilized to obliterate Jericho. This remains an unsolved mystery.
Aerial view of excavated foundations at Tell es-Sultan in Jericho and nearby areas in 2008.
Excavations at Tell Es-Sultan in Jericho
Jericho has attracted the attention of archaeologists since it was first identified and excavated by Charles Warren in 1868 as part of the Palestine Exploration Fund. His work focused on Tell es-Sultan, located just a few kilometers north of downtown Jericho. Warren believed this was the site of ancient Jericho due to the presence of a significant spring. This spring, known as Elisha’s Spring, is famous as the site where Elisha was healed according to the Bible.
The excavations revealed walls that have been the subject of much discussion and research due to their importance in assessing the historical accuracy of the biblical account of the ancient Israelites’ invasion of Canaan. The biblical narrative describes the city as having nearly impregnable walls, instilling fear in anyone attempting to conquer it.
Remains of a tower at Tell es-Sultan in ancient Jericho. (Salamandra123)
Some argue that archaeological evidence has validated the biblical account, with excavations indicating that Jericho was once fortified and then attacked and burned around the middle or late Bronze Age, between 1550 BC and 1400 BC.
“Similarly, these archaeological findings at Jericho do not necessarily prove that the biblical account occurred precisely as described, but they do lend credibility to the narrative found within the pages of the Bible,” Caleb Strom argued in Ancient Origins. “While archaeology sometimes questions traditional stories of the past, at other times, it astonishingly confirms them.”
Kathleen Kenyon’s excavations in the 1950s uncovered 17 walls from the early Bronze Age, some showing signs of destruction by earthquakes and others bearing evidence of destruction by invading nomads. In fact, Willem Boshoff explained that her work concluded that the walls of Jericho did not correspond to the biblical timeframe of Joshua, predating the assumed dates by centuries and finding that most of the collapsed walls actually dated from the early Bronze Age. During her excavations, Kenyon also discovered an 8.5-meter (28 ft) stone tower dating back to 8000 BC, making it one of the earliest stone constructions ever built.
Mount of Temptation in Jericho.
Visiting Jericho
This historic city, with over 10,000 years of history, is certainly worth a visit if you find yourself on the West Bank in Palestine. Due to checkpoints, it may be easier to access from Ramallah. The main attraction, of course, is Jericho Tell, or Tell al-Sultan, located 2.5 km from Jericho’s main square. This ancient settlement mound stands 21 meters (69 ft) tall, and while it may be difficult to decipher for the untrained eye, it is a fundamental site to learn about the history of human civilization as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.
Another significant site is the Mount of Temptation, a beautiful pilgrimage site where Jesus is said to have fasted after being baptized by John the Baptist. If you prefer not to hike up the steep path, there is a cable car to take you there.
