The Walls of Jericho, an ancient Neolithic settlement in Jericho, were built around 8000 BCE. These massive stone walls, at least 13 feet in height, were backed by a 28-foot watchtower or redoubt. The city sat atop a mound or hill, which was surrounded by an embankment supported by an enormous stone retaining wall. Above the retaining wall was an 8-10 foot-high stone tower.
The settlement grew quickly and for reasons unknown, the inhabitants soon constructed a substantial stone wall and exterior ditch around their town, complete with a stone tower almost eight meters high. Nondefensive explanations for the city wall began to circulate in the 1980s, after anthropologist and archaeologist Ofer Bar-Yosef observed that the wall’s pinnacle-like tower, a 28-foot tower, was a significant feature.
Archaeological findings have shown that the city was surrounded by a huge wall, consisting of an inner wall about 4 meters thick and an outer wall 2 meters thick, both built of sundried reddish. By 8500 BCE, Jericho became a growing city with walls over 6 feet thick and 15 feet high and the tallest tower anywhere in the world.
A reconstruction of the defenses shows a stone revetment ten feet high (3.08 meters) and a plastered slope at an angle of 35 degrees running through the walls. The width of the walls was around 8 feet wide, and people lived between them.
In summary, the Walls of Jericho are a testament to the ancient civilization’s resilience and resilience, as well as the importance of its fortifications and defenses.
📹 The Walls Of Jericho (Bible Stories Explained)
Speech is completely original and produced exclusively by Grace Digital Network ▻Music licensed through Artlist.io ▻Footage …
How thick are the walls of Jericho?
Jericho, an ancient city in Palestine, was a growing city in 8500 BCE with walls over 6 feet thick and 15 feet high, and the tallest tower in the world at 28 feet. These walls are the oldest defensive walls ever discovered and were surrounded by a massive defensive ditch. Over time, Jericho rose and fell as a city of importance, sometimes being abandoned as people migrated. In 1400 BCE, the city faced another threat from the Israelites led by Joshua.
Conquering Jericho required conquering its walls, which were not easy. Jericho had both original 15-foot high walls and a second set of walls at the top of the hill Jericho, which could have reached 26 feet and encircled the city. Before the invention of siege weapons in the 9th century, it appeared that only divine intervention could take down the walls of Jericho.
How long did it take to walk around the walls of Jericho?
In Hebrews 11:30, the walls of Jericho fell due to extraordinary faith in God. This faith led to supernatural miracles, far beyond the earthly realm. In Acts 16:22-26, Paul and Silas were attacked by the crowd, and they were stripped and beaten. They were thrown into prison, where they were placed in the inner cell and fastened in stocks. At midnight, while praying and singing hymns to God, a violent earthquake shaken the prison foundations. All prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.
This powerful moment demonstrated the power of praise and prayer, even when bound in chains. The Apostles’ faith in God and their ability to praise Him demonstrated the power of prayer and praise in overcoming adversity.
How thick are exterior walls?
Modern exterior walls are typically 7. 25 inches thick, with 2X6 framing, 1 inch exterior siding, and 0. 25 inch interior drywall. The outer walls of public rooms, such as smoking rooms and lounges, are likely metal or steel. The outer superstructure walls are likely steel plates riveted together. The hull is 3 inches thick, but the superstructure is likely not as thick. The ship’s beam is reported as 92.
5 feet at its widest point, which includes the A-Deck promenade and boat deck, which overhangs B-Deck by some portion. The D-Deck Dining Saloon is 92. 5 feet wide, indicating that A-Deck must be wider.
How tall and wide were the walls of Jericho?
The Great Great Wall, built around 8300 BCE, was a significant architectural feat in ancient times. It was built around six acres in an ovular plan, housing a town of around a thousand inhabitants. The wall was made entirely of stone, with most dwellings built of loaf-shaped mud bricks. The wall was not particularly effective as a barrier, as it was eroded by alluvial washes.
After several centuries of habitation, the community that built the first wall disappeared from the area. Subsequent generations returned to the man-made hill and settled there again, building different types of houses and rebuilding the wall along different lines. The city gradually rose into the man-made plateau we see today, eventually subsuming the tower and burying the dead against its flanks. Over six thousand years, different civilizations used the wall to suit their needs and culture.
Around 1500 BCE, the Israelites arrived, and the wall of Jericho began its slow metamorphosis from a stone and earth object into an object of pure myth. This was a remarkable victory, as the Israelites probably never conquered Jericho at all.
Was Jericho impenetrable?
The walls of Jericho, a fortified stronghold built as early as 7000 BC, were not just a border-crossing wall, but a true fortified stronghold capable of standing against large armies. The walls were not deterrents, but rather a true fortified stronghold that could only be conquered by forcing the Israelites inside their city for months until resources were depleted. The power of God is evident in His ability to bring down these walls without the use of destructive force, as He is the Lord over all things.
Just as He did at the tower of Babel, the Lord was able to thwart the walls of Jericho in a creative way, falling over at His command. This power struck terror in Jericho and the land of Canaan, and should also strike terror in those who do not obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 1:5-10).
What caused the walls of Jericho to fall?
After crossing the Jordan, the king of Jericho ordered the gates of the walls to be closed. God commanded Joshua to go around the city for six days, once every day, and seven times on the seventh day. They were attacked by seven priests blowing horns, with the Ark of the Covenant in front of them and all the people behind the Ark of the Covenant. After the shofar (horn) sounded a great blow, the Israelites shouted, and the city walls fell beneath them.
Following God’s law, the Israelites killed every man and woman, as well as the oxen, sheep, and donkeys. Only Rahab, her parents, brothers, and all “those who belonged to her” were spared and were incorporated into Israel. Joshua cursed anyone who rebuilt the foundations and gates with the deaths of their firstborn and youngest child respectively. This was eventually fulfilled by Hiel the Bethelite under King Ahab’s reign.
In 1868, Charles Warren identified Tell es-Sultan as the site of biblical Jericho. Ernst Sellin and Carl Watzinger excavated the site between 1907 and 1909, finding the remains of two walls that initially suggested supported the biblical account of the Battle of Jericho. John Garstang conducted excavations there and discovered the remains of a network of collapsed walls, dated to about 1400 BCE. Kathleen Kenyon re-excavated the site over 1952–1958, demonstrating that the destruction occurred during a well-attested Egyptian campaign against the Hyksos of that period. Radiocarbon tests corroborated Kenyon’s work in 1995.
Is there evidence that the walls of Jericho fell?
Archaeologist Byrant G. Wood of the University of Toronto found remarkable agreement between archaeological evidence at Jericho and the biblical narrative of the Israelite destruction. After analyzing data from British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon’s excavation reports, Wood concluded that the walls of Jericho did indeed topple as the Bible records. Kenyon concluded that the fortified city was destroyed around 1550 B. C. and was no longer there at the time of the Israelite invasion after 1400 B. C., leading to scholars writing off the biblical record as folklore and religious rhetoric for about 30 years.
How thick is an outer wall in inch?
The typical residential building’s outer wall thickness is 9 inches (0. 23 m), while its inner wall thickness is 4 inches (0. 10 m).
How thick are the walls between houses?
The thickness of a wall can be determined at a given point along its length, with solid walls typically measuring 23 centimetres in thickness and cavity walls measuring 30 centimetres in thickness. To install cavity wall insulation, energy supply companies offer discounts of approximately 60% on the standard price. Additionally, income-related benefits may entitle individuals to free services. Additionally, HEET and Warm Front provide complimentary insulation for those who qualify.
What were the walls of Jericho made of?
The Walls of Jericho, built around 8000 BCE, are massive stone walls surrounding an ancient Neolithic settlement in Jericho. These walls, at least 13 feet tall and backed by a 28-foot watchtower, were designed to protect the settlement and its water supply from human intruders. They represent the earliest military technology uncovered by archaeologists. Part of the larger archaeological complex known as Tall al-Sulṭān, the walls were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2023.
What is the Walls of Jericho hold?
The Boston crab is a professional wrestling hold that involves a wrestler standing farther back, allowing additional pressure to be placed on the opponent’s back from a higher angle. It is best known as Chris Jericho’s Walls of Jericho. The move starts with one wrestler lying in a supine position on the mat, with the other standing and facing them. The wrestler hooks each opponent’s legs in one of their arms and turns the opponent face-down, stepping over them in the process.
The final position has the wrestler in a semi-sitting position, facing away from the opponent, with the opponent’s back and legs bent back toward their head. The original name for the maneuver was the Backbreaker, but it is not considered a lethal submission maneuver in modern wrestling. In submission grappling, the Boston crab can set up a straight ankle lock. Jonno Mears became the first fighter in mixed martial arts history to win a fight with the Boston crab in 2017.
📹 Jericho Unearthed: The Archaeology of Jericho Explained
The experts agree–the city walls of Jericho fell down. But does archaeology agree with the Biblical account of Joshua and Jericho …
Ok nice work but……. (New)kJV come on do you not known that it was tampered with ???? I’m not hating your message of GOD. Just keep the true word of GOD not a changed version of it . Be careful and don’t be deceived with false teachings and the new KJV is one of them. KJV in its original form is the truth and not a new version of it written by sheep in wolf clothing. 🙏 Amen
Come soon Lord! Amen. God is merciful. He always forgives. Never be ashamed to take your failures to him. He is for you, not against you! God is with you in the storm. He knows your troubles, he hears you! He is for you, on your side, always! It may feel silent at times, but he’s holding you close! May the Lord return soon! We are drawing closer. He is coming! Believe and trust in the Lord, you will be saved. Period. May the Lord bless you all! Hang in there family. Stay strong. It is not easy following the Lord. We are scoffed at. We give up our earthly dreams, our fleshly desires. What the enemy offers is short lived, but heaven is forever! Life may seem or be unfair, but God is with you! Always remember that. Things may get better or worse for you, but a kingdom awaits you! Finish the race! Repent daily and carry your cross. This world is fading fast. Your troubles are temporary! New website here, I’d appreciate any kind of support. Don’t give up! God loves you so much! So do I. The Lord bless you!
If the Israelites had listened to Yehoshua & Caleb’s report then the whole of LAND of Canaan would have been taken by sunset, and the giants would have been utterly destroyed… But because they did not, the giants & the other canaanites had FORTY YEARS to entrench themselves, & some of the giants survived & procreated which led to Goliath of Gath being a problem in David’s time…
I did a lesson on this called the trumpet of praise! Give God the praise and shout for the victory before it happens not after. This is how you can tap into super natural power! Three examples-Gideon surrounded their enemies and broke jars and had torches and shouted praise and the enemy turned on each other and killed them selves. At the walls of Jericho when they were making fun of them seven days the people said Not a word until the seventh day when they shouted a shout of praise in the walls came down. Paul and Cyrus were in prison in chains and they began that give God praise and sang and the chains fell off in the doors broke open and they were able to witness to a guard and his whole family became saved! I ended the lesson I had a kid blow a trumpet blast like you would hear back them(a war blast) and told everyone to thank God for 5 minutes till they heard the second trumpet blast and then played a song by the imperials praise the Lord
Peter and Paul separated gospel in Galatians 2 : 7- 8.. Peter was left to feed the flock.. acts 15: 7.. . Matthias was elected 12 apostle in..acts 1 : 26.. only 12 apostles.. revelation 21 : 14.. .. Paul accused.. acts 21: 21.. Titus 1 : 10.. Paul rejected.. acts 21: 28- 30.. Paul Christianity Roman pharisee. Acts 22: 27- 28.. phillipians 4 : 22… 1 Corinthians 9 : 2.. 2 Corinthians 12 : 16… Romans 3 : 7 …….. The everlasting covenant……. Genesis 17 : 14.. exodus12 : 48- 49.. Joshua 5.. ezekiel 44 : 9.. Luke 2 : 21.. John 7 : 23.. acts 7 : 8.. acts 15: 1.. jubilees 15 : 24- 29
Lord God I apologize I am so lazy that I didn’t actually pick up the book and read it myself. To this person that is presenting this to me took a commercial and is getting paid for what I could have read myself I apologize Lord God and I beg you that you give this man forgiveness and should have been for free God bless yourself a a hell of a commercial that came up right there 😢
It is incredible to think that God commanded the Israelites not to take the devoted things, so thousands of years later we would corroborate his word with archeological finds. Can’t imagine how many Israelites might have questioned this command. God’s ways are, indeed, higher than ours. Glory to the Lord!. Amen
To me, this story is one of the best and most frustrating and blatant examples of anti-biblical, dishonest, agnostic/atheist bias in academia, regardless of whether Ms Kenyon was aware of it in herself or not. I believe she was aware and stood on it anyway. What a joy it would be to have a clearer image of history had it not been the damaging effect of this bias through generations of historians, archaeologists, and scientists for more than 100 years now.
I go with the Biblical account, I also have abundance of faith in the Bible and all contained. It is only interesting to see these archaeological studies, I will always side on the side of the Bible. This is very powerful information. Just because you did not find what you were lookiing for does not mean it is not there.
I’ve done some extensive research on Jericho and the excavations done there. I’ve also listened to Dr Woods interpretation and study on the pottery. I find it very disturbing that most scholars will follow Kathleen Kenyon’s final determination, especially with the erroneous way as to how she came to her conclusion. The pottery doesn’t lie and the lack of Cyprian pottery not found (where) Kenyon dug is a ridiculous way to come to a conclusion. (She dated the sight on what she didn’t find). Not to mention she seemed to have ignored the pottery which was found by previous digs and her own. I believe Dr Bryant Wood is correct and this was the Jericho of Joshua’s time. Everything about the Tel coincides with the Biblical story to a tee. To refute the facts is blindness.
I appreciate your work sir. To make effort in order to keep the living Word of God confirmed and to keep proving the truth of the Bible to the whole world is something very special. And God sees it. May God bless you sir for everything you are doing to lift His Name on high! Praise Jesus Christ our Lord.
Great documentary! Thank you for your work! I had the opportunity to be a student of Dr. Bryant Wood in the mid 1990s at Messiah College. He taught us exactly this same information on Jericho, and I’ve never forgotten it. Such a treasure. So reaffirming of the Biblical account and the authority of Scripture. Praise God!
IMAGINE if no one wrote about the account of the fall of Jericho, archeologists today who would have stumbled upon this site would be trying so hard to give ideas as to what happened back then. Except that we do know what happened, and in great detail. Knowledge is so valuable when you understand the risks of not possessing it.
I’ve been to Jericho with a tour. They pointed out the “Tel” and there were also sycamore trees there, which I found most interesting because we have sycamores all over northern Indiana. Jericho is the world’s oldest city they say. There were other unusual events recorded in relation to Joshua like the standing still of the sun and the backward flowing of the Jordan. So the wall falling down isn’t much different. God favored and helped and loved those people. Later they rejected the Messiah long awaited by Moses, Elias, Joshua, David, etc.
Well put together and well argued. The last statements are the most important. This account was written down by people who witnessed it so why would you dismiss it and try to disprove it. The only thing I can come up with is if we prove God’s word is real then God is real and we have responsibility to our creator which most people do not want to believe. Also, let me just say that these articles are REALLY well done in all aspects. If you are doing them yourself then brother you are very talented. Thank You. Best thing I’ve seen since Ray Vanderlaan was doing his series.
I could have watched another 2 or 3 hours of this. If I could make a request or suggestion, I’d love to see a compilation of all your expeditions in the Holy land in chronological order. Obviously the smaller articles are easier bites, but I’m one of those oddies who really loves the longer style content. Especially to play in the background while I’m busy working. Just a thought! May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob continue to bless and watch over your work and ministry.
Thank you for making this clearer, very informative clear and understandable, The date seems to be the main sticking point among secular archioligst aswell as Christian archioligst who also disagree with each other. What I have noticed since I started looking into all this is that it’s not that there is a lack of evidence, but that there is lot’s of evidence, but it’s trying to piece it all together with a time line that fits, IE exodus out of Egypt, destruction of canaanite cities Hebrews appearing in cannan. The date, the exodus Pharo, 🙆. Thank you very informative clear and understandable article. And two sides of the various opinion. God bless 🙏🙏🙏
Interesting indeed. And if Bible had been written many centuries later as the mainstream historians want us to believe, then it is rather remarkable that Bible got so many details right. Oral tradition would have, invariably, introduced errors, and yet Biblical record confirms what our best and brightest among archeologists are attesting to a very high degree. It is in the fine details that distinguish if the record is telling you the truth, and Bible passes with flying colors….
Thank you all I enjoyed this program. The wall fell flat. The Biblical fact is how it happened. The Israelites did not have any weapons except the horns that they blew, and their feet marching around the building several times. The mighty God of Creation was with His people and cause them to be victorious.
I have read most of the comments here. Those by believers and those who are not. To each, I say that I do not watch these articles for evidence that the Bible is true and valid. That is something that comes from faith alone. Without faith and without the guidance of the Holy Spirit the Bible would be just another ancient work to me. As Hebrews 11:1 reads, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” So for me, that is the end of my own discussion and deliberation on the truth of God’s Word. I enjoy these articles because they show me where the Biblical events I have studied happened. I get to see these ancient places I will never be able to visit. I do not need them to strengthen my faith in the Word, nor prove to any greater extent that the Bible is true and that God is its author. All said this is my own humble opinion.
There is a movie from Tim Mahoney, a filmmaker who had a crisis of faith, and did a great work of finding archeological evidence of the Exodus. A great movie!! Dr. Brian Woods was also in his movie. The name of the movie is Patterns of Evidence!! Watch it and enjoy!! Thank you for your take on Jericho. Love to watch your article’s! 👍 May yehovah bless your life, your family and your work!
I find it interesting that if, as stated, Jericho is not mentioned in any ancient texts except those in the Bible, yet almost no one argues that this is Jericho, these non-believing archaeologists are already basing their identification on scripture. It seems so odd to me to base dating on the lack of found objects and not on the items that were found. So many circumstances could explain it: perhaps there was a city law supporting local potters and banning imports, perhaps in local pride their own clay was considered better, which would explain the copies made with local materials. Thank you for the thought provoking article – God bless you! 🙂
I find it compelling that the middle-bronze collapse doesn’t just match the Biblical account closely, it matches it EXACTLY, even to the point of the section of wall where Rahab was sheltered did NOT fall down with the rest. Add in that there is, also from the middle-bronze, evidence at the dig at Avaris in Goshen of events that match the Biblical pattern of the Exodus and now you have TWO places with matching accounts from the middle-bronze age. 13th Dynasty in Egypt, IIRC. This would seem to indicate that archeologists and scholars REALLY need to re-examine the traditional dating of the Egyptian chronology as well as how it synchronizes with the Biblical record.
Well done!…excellent presentation of the process of discovery. Unearthing God’s Truth is most definitely a LABOR of love for our Father and His Son. His WORD IS TRUE….its the real TREASURE that must be discovered. Thank you for EQUIPPING us…with tools of the ‘TRADE’…and HOW to study the evidence IN LIGHT of God’s Truth. Thank you for DELIVERING the simple analogies that said so much ( My burden is light). Thank you for simply stating Truth in LOVE …that precious place that is FREE from condemnation of the human errors …May God continue to shine His face upon you and this team. May HE guard your hearts in Truth and continue to bless the works of HIS Son’s hands and feet.
Extremely interesting. One key note that we sometimes overlook is the subject of faith. The added element of written evidence that was in fact found that the bible mentions added to the faith that the bible also mentions we should have, clearly shows that someone who is seeking truth will find it. It is truly evident that the biblical account lines up with all the evidence overall. Just yet another account of accuracy of the bible. How much more will it take before we stop justifying an alternative instead of the accuracy of the bible and persue its truths???
They have the exodus out of correlation with Egypt by centuries, Chronological Archaeologist David Roul shows why and sets the beginning of the exodus at immediately before the unopposed Hyksos invasion of Egypt. I wonder why it was unopposed……Not. Champollion made a mistake setting Ramses as the Pharaoh of the exodus when in fact he was the pharaoh who sacked the temple of Solomon. The settlement of Jacobs descendants in Goshen predates Ramses & his city, but the Exodus text was updated to the new name when the city of Ramses was built in the same location in Goshen. The truth doesn’t suit some people though.
Joel thank you for the work you do and the effort put into these articles. I should have said this 2 months ago but got sidetracked. My apologies for waiting. At church I’m part of the Wednesday night children ministry. I have been going through Joshua and you “just happened” to post this article after we finished chapter 5 and I was working on a lesson for chapter 6.
I very much appreciate your articles. However, I wish you partake of some of Dr. David Falk’s material regarding the dating of the Exodus, the conquest and related subjects. I’ve been a fervent defender of the early date, but now I’ve come to regard it as utterly indefensible on both biblical and archeological grounds. Just recently, he debated Titus Kennedy and so completely embarrassed him, albeit not in the most congenial manner, that the debate was taken down by Kenney’s colleague and host of the debate, Josh McDowell.
Perhaps I missed this in the article, so I apologize if it was already covered. The timing of when the account of Jericho was written, according to secular historians, could be fairly important.(Perhaps secular historians have synchronized these events to make sense or support their narrative). If secular historians have the date for the city of Jericho’s destruction occurring before they have placed the biblical story of Jericho‘s destruction being recorded then it is possible (according to a secular narrative) that a group of people came upon a destroyed city and they just made up a story to explain the ruined city and perhaps used the site to their advantage for religious reasons. If it is found that the story of Jericho‘s destruction was actually written before the secular dating of Jerichos destruction it makes it much harder to place the destruction of the city at the secular historians later date.
Hey Joel such an amazing insight into a biblical happening. It was much useful. But a small doubt from mine. 1 Kings 16:34 states that Hiel rebuilt Jericho. Is this Jericho built by Hiel called the new Jericho or did he rebuild over the ruins of the fallen city. If it was above the ruins of the fallen city was there any evidence of this rebuilt city over the abandoned layer that was found during these excavations and how did this rebuilt city got wiped out ? Thank you so much for these articles Joel gaining much insight into the Biblical events through you and God bless you. Keep on in this incredible ministry brother. ❤
Now I understand more. The savior of the spies was living in the walls because there really houses in the wall perimeter. I also found it odd why the Jericho locals just watched the Israelites marching around for 7 days, that’s because they have supplies to stay in and they have strong confidence in their wall.
The Bible says (not a quote) in Joshua 6:20 that every man went straight into Jericho. It doesn’t say he climbed the rubble. In Joshua 6:26 the Bible says, cursed be the man that rebuilds Jericho and in 1 Kings 16:34 the Bible says Hiel rebuilt Jericho I belive in spite of what happened since, that the walls of Jericho fell straight down into the ground and the Hebrews with Joshua, went straight in
Hey Joel, I was just reading Luke 10 and came across a mention of Jericho in the parable of the good Samaritan. I did a little digging and found that 1 Kings 16:34 records the rebuilding of the city. I understand from this article that the Tel is made up of layers of successive rebuild, but I wondered if in Jesus day this was still an inhabited city or whether by that point He may have been referring to the region or ruins of Jericho or that there was a smaller settlement of the same name as I didn’t hear mention in this article of an upper layer in the cake from that period. Could you clarify please?
joshua 6:19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury.” 21 They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. 24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house.
Gotta love scientists. “You have to judge based on the evidence, not what “an authority figure” says”. You mean God? The Bible? Okay. The bible need not be proven right and cannot be proven wrong. Maybe the LORD doesn’t want you to find anything because you don’t have any faith in His word. And if that is the case, you might never find anything. And what if you do? It still won;t be enough “proof” for you. Even though the Word of God says that creation itself declares the glory of God.
By marching around a city built on top of soft sediments, used to fill the retaining wall, the Hebrews set up resonance, which caused the wall, perched precariously stop the man-made hill, to collapse. Far from being unbelievable, this is known science. The knowledge of resonance was probably part of the necessary understanding of engineering, especially in Egypt. They had to know it, because they built built heavy brick and stone structures many of which have survived earthquakes for thousands of years. The Hebrews must also have known this. Certainly, God had a hand in the decision to adopt this strategy.
You’ve got the timing of the sacking of Jericho wrong (that is the timing within whatever year it was) …. After Passover is the barley harvest. Shavuot (7 weeks after Passover) is the wheat harvest, so it would have been late May at the earliest, but more likely, early June. But if it indeed occurred shortly after Passover, there might have been large stores of barley, but not wheat. The biblical account suggests that the city had been shut up for security because of the presence of the Israelites. I wonder if they would have been able to get out to harvest the wheat? Owing to the similarity of barley & wheat, & the possibility that ancient strains of wheat are very different than modern wheat (even in the 1950’s when Kenyon was working there) is it possible that the burned grain they found was either barley or all that remained of the previous year’s wheat harvest? Because with the presence of millions of Israelis threatening the city, & the fact that the account says that the city was shut up (having previously been notified of infiltration by Israeli spies) I seriously doubt that the wheat harvest happened for them. It is also possible that the Israeli’s might have taken wheat from the area. The account of the circumcision at Gilgal & the Passover says that ” they ate from the produce of the land, matzot & roasted grain”…”The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten of the produce of the land. Bnei-Yisrael had manna no longer, but ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan that year”.
I found in a Bible commentary that, because of the archeological evidence said that by the time of the conquest Jericho wasn’t there anymore, that the whole account in Joshua is just “symbolic,” of how the Israelites perceived their coming into the promised land. Man, such an arrogance, You have a clear historical record of the entire conquest, with a detail of cities conquered and their kings, and because someone in the XX century says the dates don’t match, even Christians are willing to accept a mistaken scholar rather than questioning the data analysis method.
Though I’m convinced, there is this nagging itch to produce something that would impress even Kathleen Kenyon. This article is the best summation of the controversy I have seen to date. Excellent graphics. The knock-off copy of Cypriot pottery is an important find. Yet Kenyon’s flawed reasoning still dominates.
I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, unmistaken, true and ought to be used as reference to life, faith and history. Having said that, I am strongly displeased by all anti-Bible bias. Including those who come up with moronic theories to deny the obvious. (I’m not saying, necessarily, that this article is the case).
There is a middle ground, so to speak. Is it possible there was a great earth quake followed by a fire and the Biblical story was embellished to include the marching around the city, trumpets and the wall falling? A city suffering a natural disaster might have been easier to capture and burn. Or could the fire be associated with the earth quake? I do understand that if you take the Bible as literal history, this may not be an option and I do not intend to offend any believers.
It’s interesting that one archaeologist (who is not religious) cannot definitely believe the walls of Jericho was misdated, and another archaeologist (a believer) can conclude, without doubt, the date of when the walls of Jericho fell. The bible is truth, and what keeps one from believing it, is that person, who has a free will to choose to believe it or not.
Great job, this again only proves that the Bible is real and true, but we already knew the truth, but this just shows humans that god is real and we don’t need evidence or any women to prove the Bible is wrong, it real and we think u for this article, our faiths only get stronger with articles like this, congratulations to showing us this !
Here’s one for you Exodus 19:18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. Now google earth Mount Sinai and see that the top of mount Sinai is burnt just like the scripture says and people think that the Bible is just a book and they act as if Almighty God cannot preserve and protect his word throughout the ages 🤦🏽♂️ My God Elohim, the Great I AM is awesomely amazing ❤
(Joshua 6:20) “So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” I could not find the word collapsed in the real Word of God, which is the historical document you should be used.
There is always a problem when modern peops are that proud and arrogant that they dare query the incorruptible unchanged Word of God. If it’s spoken by God and recorded history in His Word, it be, it was and will be., bottom line.. the alleged Archaeologists need to re-check their own beliefs and data and knowledge. Period.
Someone did rebuild the city after Joshua’s curse, during the time of Ahab. This is Joshua’s curse: Jos 6:26 Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, “Cursed be the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.” And here is the account of the rebuilding of the city: 1Ki 16:29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 1Ki 16:30 Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. 1Ki 16:31 And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. 1Ki 16:32 Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 1Ki 16:33 And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 1Ki 16:34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun. Joshua 6: 26 and 1Kings 16:34: do you know what this means? It means that Hiel laid the foundation of the city on top of his first born.
When it comes to the biblical date of Jericho, we should also keep in mind the differences between the later Masoretic texts (common in most OT Bibles today) and the Dead Sea Scrolls/Greek Septugint. In the most ancient scrolls, before the Jews modified the chronology in opposition to Christ, the Exodus and Genesis, is pushed back further in time by hundreds of years, and also, we should keep in mind, in the ancient scrolls, the Israelites were not in Egypt 400 years, but Egypt ‘and’ Canaan, which is confirmed in all the old texts, and the New Testament. “It had been 430 years that the children of Israel lived in the land of Canaan *and* in the land of Egypt”. – Exodus 12:40 (Greek Septuagint, Samaritan Pentateuch & Dead Sea Scroll Versions). Thus, even if Jericho was destroyed earlier, an earlier date would ‘still’ match the Bible’s original chronology of the Israelite arrival. When we combine this with the research done by those such as Rohl, the critics actually have nothing, and all the details line up to the account.
This is an interesting example for the fact that not man decides / determines ‘truth’ but that God’s Word, the Bible, is Truth and that true science is in accordance with the whole biblical context. – Neither christians not strictly relying on the biblical text nor scientists claiming the Bible were not true are right. An.hom. Joshua / Judges BC Notes 2553 Passage through the Jordan..1566 on 10.01 Entry into the land of Canaan… (Joshua 4, 19) 1566 14.01 Passover, after circumcision (Joshua 5, 10) 15.01 Feast of Unleavened Bread. (Joshua 5, 11) The manna ceases after the people now eat of the produce of the land for the first time (Joshua 5, 11-12) 2553 to 2559 The conquest of the land, until the distribution lasts from 1566 BC – 1560 BC (Josh 6-12). Caleb is 85 years old at the time of the distribution of the land (Joshua 14, 10) 1566 to 1560 2559 from land distribution to the first oppression 1560 – 1546 Kathleen Kenyon: In her research on Jericho, her refutation of John Garstang’s dating of the end of the fourth city (City IV) attracted particular attention. In the 1930s, Garstang identified the end of the fourth city with the biblical story of Joshua and dated it to around 1400 BC, i.e. the end of the Late Bronze Age. Kenyon, on the other hand, dated the destruction to around 1550 BC (end of the Middle Bronze Age) and found no signs of settlement for the period from 1400 BC. In the 1990s, there was renewed controversy over the dating when the American archaeologist Bryant G.
I’m wondering if Kathleen ever considered a trade embargo which would easily explain why she never found the pottery she was looking for. Or perhaps Jericho’s pottery was considered better or perhaps they just didn’t like the pottery coming from Cypress. The fact that she didn’t find the pottery she was looking for has nothing to do with a hard date. The pottery they did find seems to match the date when the ancient texts say it happened. Arguing for a date because you can’t find something isn’t really a valid reason to say it’s 150 years older.
I would add one thing to this about what I just found about the sound. It says this: “Because resonance causes the amplitude of vibration to increase, the oscillations may exceed the elastic limit of the material and damage it—for example, buildings may fall or bridges may break. Even resonance produced by sound waves can cause a material to break, such as when a glass goblet is shattered by sound.” In the Bible it says they broke the wall with trumpets and shouting. Sounds incredible at first until you hear a kid pissing you off with a trumpet from a vicinity. That thing is LOUD! So if you combine some conditions, I don’t see why breaking the wall with a sound WOUDLN’T be a real life possibility.
The historical timeline of the Bible is off by approximately 200 years. This theme keeps on appearing in calendrical and archeological evidence from all studies, Jewish and Christian. Both in understanding Exodus, Jericho, and even today’s Hellel II Jewish Calendar. The Jewish Calendar is not 5784, but likely much closer to the year 6000, which has significant Judeo-Christian messianic significance.
The 480 year in 1st Kings 6 isn’t dealing with the Roman time of BC. God time was based off the Jubilee Years. The book of jubilees in chapter 50 says the children of Israel left Egypt in the 50th Jubilee in the year 2410 (After Adam). So the children of Israel came into the land in the 51st Jubilee and took Jericho in the year 2451(AA).
I love that you tackled this controversial subject. For sure there was a wall, but wasn’t the wall impregnated with children’s skulls (sacrificial victims)? Okay, I’m continuing to watch. Love the input of the Bible-believing archeologist (Dr. Bryant Wood) you brought on board. They’re both fun (& Dr. Peter Parr), but I believe the Bible. The witnesses stand in that clear logic of the local pottery present and all the other markers, the red bricks, the burn, the abandonment. This is utterly fascinating. Thank you!
I give God thanks for the men and women who work so hard in the field of archaeology and other sciences, to prove God‘s word is true and I also give God thanks for those who work so hard to disprove the Lord. Remember Cyrus, who God used and who was never a believer. The Lord uses all of His created order to bring about His kingdom. Praise God for His infinite wisdom!
So viele Beweise das die Bibel von Gott JHWH Jehova stammt,warum wurde Gottes Name aus der Bibel entfernt wenn doch Jesus in seinem Mustergebet Vaterunser die Heiligung des Namens JHWH an die erste Stelle setzt ? So jeder ein echter Christ sein will muss den Namen Jehova in seinen Gebeten auch gebrauchen und heiligen So wie das auch Jesus tat .Ich habe deinen Namen bekannt nt gemacht.
The Dead Sea Scrolls are greatly in error. These scrolls do not even agree one with the other. They are the basis for most of todays modern Bibles, all of which have much of the ‘Received Text’ missing. The Dead Sea Scrolls were translated by Westcott and Hort who overlooked all the errors and the missing text. It is a poor translation and is not based on the received text. It is not the Bible, but an alternative book to the Bible. Calling it the Bible is inaccurate.
I think it is also important to consider the differences in the formats of time keeping used by all the different cultures over the years, the consideration of the leap years, which will add up over millennia. The Gregorian calendar was originally used in 1582, to correct issues from the Julian calendar, etc…. The Hebrew calendar adds a 13th month every 2-3 years. With all of these variables to consider, the difference of 150 years over the course of 3,500 years, that’s only a 4% potential error, which really isn’t that bad.
And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. -Jeremiah 29:13 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. -John 3:16 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out. -Acts 3:19
Jesus loves you!! Jesus is real and alive!!! The KJV Bible is true and the inerrant word of God!!! Jesus Saves!!! 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Jesus came, died, was buried and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures!!! John 3:15-18 Ephesians 2: 8-9 Romans 10: 9 -13 1 John 5:5 Believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and you will be Saved!!!! Call on the name of the Lord and you will be Saved
I absolutely love your articles and have bought your book which I also love, and am hugely grateful for your in depth and truly wonderful work…but the music on this article seriously distracts and detracts from your really inspired explorations. Please please can you re-do this wonderful article without the music?! Your insightful work can stand on its own without the truly off-putting “music”.
Where is the “evidence of battle?” — The arroheads, the swords, and the bodies of the combat killed? This all could just as easily be evidence of an earthquake, and fire which originated within the city… and maybe the wandering tribe just… happened to be camped outside of that city, for either war, or commerce? There are a lot of questions, which deserve examining, and the confirmation bias in the editing, is visible.
The more we dig up the dumber we look for accepting carte blanch the statements of those who refuse to accept any other opinion/determination but their own. Proper evaluation of what we find and debate on the facts is the only way to establish anything AS fact. Present day man can’t even THINK the way people did in ancient times and languages have a terrible habit of changing ‘with the times’. For instance, comedian John Branyan reminds us that today we can barely understand simple nursery rimes as they would be told by Shakespear. Documenting the chronology using the rulers and conquerors of just about any region up to and including today can be quickly verified by coins. We believe from records written by them that they left a LIST of the Pharaohs of Egypt, very possibly not an accurate accounting of when they ruled according to recent research that questions which Pharoah Moses delt with when God commanded His people be freed. Modern archeology has come a LONG way and requires much careful digging, documenting, examination, evaluation and confirmation by MANY different processes that have only become available in the last 60 years. Science must follow the rules of discovery and verification, which never really stops.
The thing that’s misleading people is that the bible says the Israelites crossed Jordan, but Jordan doesn’t mean river, it means descender. The Israelites were off of the Salt Sea and not the river Jordan. If they was up that far, they could have just walked over, but if you look at Joshua 3:16, the phrase “came down” means Jordan. The waters came down (Jordan) towards the Salt Sea and they crossed over right by Jericho. So you have to remain looking down in the salt Sea region.
The fact that 1) there is evidence of the collapsed wall 2) climbing up retaining wall aligns 3) city was burned 4) city was left uninhabited and 5) time of year of destruction aligns, if there is a 50/50 on the pottery used, when taking all the other points into consideration, the Biblical viewpoint makes it more a 90/10 in favour of the Bible