JERICHO

ruins of ancient synagogue, Jericho, courtesy, BibleWalks.com

The town of Jericho today is an Arab settlement of roughly 20,000 Arab settlers and their descendants. It is located in the southern Jordan Valley, about 15 miles east of Jerusalem, just west of the Jordan River and just north of the Dead Sea. It is believed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and containing the oldest known protective wall. It was thought to have the oldest stone tower in the world as well, but excavations at Tell Qaramel in Syria have discovered stone towers that are even older.

Jericho is described in the Hebrew Bible as the "city of palm trees". During the time of Joshua, the town commanded the entrance to the Land of Israel. Hence while Joshua was still encamped at Shittim, east of the Jordan, he sent two spies to investigate the state of the country in general and of Jericho in particular. The spies lodged at the house of a prostitute, Rehab, in the wall of the city, and, upon their presence being suspected, Rehab let them out through the window by means of a rope. When the armies of Joshua finally crossed the Jordan and encamped nearby at Gilgal, they besieged the city, marching around it once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. When the last circuit had been made and while the [seven] priests blew trumpets, the Israelites were ordered to shout, and when they did so, the walls fell down before them. The conquerors, by special command of the Lord, spared the life of none, not even the cattle. The only exception was Rehab and her family, who were saved due to the kindness she showed to the spies. The city and everything in it were then burned; only the vessels of gold, silver, copper, and iron were declared sacred and were reserved for the treasury of the Lord. Afterwards, Joshua pronounced a solemn curse on anyone who should rebuild the city.   

The site of Jericho was then allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. When the Kingdom of Israel was divided into north and south, Jericho, even though part of Benjamin tribal territory, found itself as part of the northern Kingdom of Israel in the southeastern corner near the border with the southern Kingdom of Judah. During the reign of Ahab, the city was rebuilt by Hiel the Bethelite according to the word of the lord (I Kings 16:34) which presumably lifted the curse. Afterwards, the sons of the prophets settled there. Elisha "healed" its waters by casting salt into them (II Kings 2:5, 19-22; today, this site is marked by Elisha’s Spring lying between Tel Yericho, a major archaeological site in the area, and the ancient Shalom al Yisrael Synagogue). Elijah's ascension to heaven took place nearby.

In the 1^st century, the city was again destroyed, this time, by the Romans, but it was rebuilt shortly thereafter. It became a Jewish center once more under the rule of the Byzantine Empire during which time, the Shalom al Yisrael Synagogue was built. (Today, the Zionists and Arabs have restricted access to Jewish visitors.) In the 7^th century, Jewish refugees from Mohammad’s Arabia, especially the Banu Nadir, settled in Jericho, augmenting the indigenous Jewish population. In addition, the literary practitioners of the Masorah mention a "Jericho Codex" existing there. The city remained a Jewish center until the coming of the Crusaders in 1099 at which point, Jericho was completely destroyed. For many centuries afterward, no Jew lived there but Jewish visitors and travelers often traversed the area.

After World War I, there was a small Jewish community in the city but they were forced to leave after the Arabs became violent. After the War of Independence in 1949, the Arabs of Jordan occupied and ruled Jericho in which state it remained for the next 19 years. In 1967, the area was liberated by Israel, but it was handed over to the newly-formed Palestinian Authority in 1994.

In 1977, Jews began returning to the area, with the founding of the village of Mitzpe Yericho during the holiday of Sukkot. It was supposed to have been located on government lands adjacent to Jericho. But due to the objection of then Defense Minister Ezer Weizman, they were moved to Mishor Adumim. Agriculture Minister Ariel Sharon suggested a few days later that they relocate to a barren hilltop overlooking the city, the current location. The original residents of the area were a mixed group of both religiously observant and non-observant Jews. In 1979, they split up into two groups, and the non-observant members established a new community, Vered Yericho, located below Mitzpe Yericho and closer to Jericho. The third community, Mevo'ot Yericho, founded in 1999, is today, an Israeli communal settlement located just north of the city, in the Yitav Valley. In more recent years, Nahal Elisha was founded on the eastern outskirts of the city.