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Jericho

The oasis city whose capture opens Joshua’s conquest.

Illustrated view of ancient Jericho in the Jordan Valley with its walls, springs, and palm groves, with maps and a list of key Bible events from Joshua 6 to Luke 19.
Illustrated reconstruction, not a photograph. The dating of Jericho’s walls and some site labels are debated or traditional; see the claims below. Select the image to view it full size.

What the sources say, and how sure we are

  • The text says

    Joshua sends spies to Jericho, and the city falls after the Israelites march around it. In the Gospels, Jesus heals a blind man there and meets Zacchaeus.Josh 2; Josh 6; Luke 18:35–43; Luke 19:1–10

  • Outside evidence

    Jericho (Tell es-Sultan) is among the oldest inhabited sites in the world, with a stone tower from about 8000 BC. Herod the Great built a winter palace at nearby New Testament Jericho.Tell es-Sultan

  • Debated

    Kenyon dated the destruction of Jericho’s walls to about 1550 BC, Bryant Wood argues for about 1400 BC, and others find little occupation in the period of the conquest. The interpretation of the evidence is contested.Josh 6