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Jericho

Illustration of Jericho

Jericho was an ancient fortified city located near the Jordan River that stood as the first major obstacle for the Israelites after crossing into Canaan. In the Book of Joshua, God commanded the people to march around its walls once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day, after which the walls collapsed following the sounding of trumpets and a shout, enabling the conquest without conventional battle tactics. This event demonstrated God's direct intervention and faithfulness to His covenant promises, serving as a foundational victory that affirmed Israel's reliance on divine power rather than military strength. Its significance extends through Scripture as a recurring symbol of God's ability to overcome seemingly impossible barriers when His people obey His instructions.

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Details

Region
Canaan
Modern Location
Tell es-Sultan, near modern Jericho, Palestinian Territories
Strongest connections in Scripture

Journey Paths

Achan's Journey

Ai โ†’ Jericho

Joshua's Journey

Jericho โ†’ Gilgal โ†’ Shechem

Key Passages

Fall of Jericho

Joshua 6:1-20

Jericho's walls collapse after Israel marches and shouts - the first conquest in the Promised Land demonstrates that victory comes through obedience, not military might.

N1ow Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of ramsโ€™ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ramโ€™s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of ramsโ€™ horns before the ark of the LORD. 7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD. 8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of ramsโ€™ horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. 10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. 11 So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. 12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of ramsโ€™ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. 14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. 16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city. 17 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. 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.

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

Mark 10:46-52

Jesus heals a blind beggar outside Jericho - demonstrating His messianic authority and compassion for those society overlooks.

A46nd they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. 48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. 50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Did You Know?

1

Jericho is considered the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Over 10,000 years old.

2

The city sits 846 feet below sea level, making it the lowest city on Earth.

3

Archaeological evidence shows the walls of ancient Jericho did collapse outward, not inward.