Jericho is best remembered by Christians everywhere as the ancient city whose walls collapsed at the blasts of the trumpets in the Israelite invasion of the land led by Joshua. Jericho actually consists of two sites: the ancient Jericho that Joshua destroyed and cursed, and a new Jericho built further south. Ancient Jericho was the home of Rahab, the prostitute who helped the Israelite scouts. New Jericho was the city where Jesus called Zacchaeus out of the tree to have dinner with him, and on other occasion healed the blind beggar Bartimaeus. What is less well known is that Jericho remains one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world and—located at 248m below sea level—is also the lowest city in the world. Well watered by a perpetual spring, Jericho is also known as 'the city of palms' (Deut 34:3; Judg 3:13).
The City of Palms. Modern Jericho from the tel of ancient Jericho.
As the first city to be taken by the conquering Israelites, Jericho was placed under a prohibition (cherem) so that everything in it were devoted to the Lord and a curse placed on it by Joshua, "Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: "At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates" (Jos 6:26). This did not stopped the defiant Hiel of Bethel from attempting it in the reign of King Ahab (1 Ki 16:34), "he aid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub".
The tel that was ancient Jericho.
Jericho sat at an important junction of the major roads connecting Transjordan and Cisjordan (it was near one of the few places where the Jordan could be easily forded) as well as Ephraim and Galilee in the north and the wilderness to the south. As a result it was the site of many events reported in the OT. Elijah came here with Elisha just before he was taken up by the chariots and horses of fire (2 Ki 2:4-22). Nebuchadnezzer waited here while Jerusalem was invested and nearby King Zedekiah was captured trying to escape but brought here to witness his sons being killed and his eyes blinded for his rebellion (2 Ki 25:1-7).
Jesus visited the city possibly twice but it also appeared in his famous "parable of the good Samaritan" (Lk 10:30-37).
The ancient Roman road from Jerusalem to Jericho; scene of Jesus' parable of the good neighbour.
You may also wish to read the following:
Resources & Further Reading:
JAncient Jericho Discoveries, Proof Bible is True, Tell Es Sultan, Joshua, Jericho Walls Fall Down HolyLandSite.com Youtube 57min. N
Jericho - The First City on Earth? Youtube 57min. N
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