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'''Jericho''' is a city in [[Israel]] by the [[Jordan River]].
'''Jericho''' is a city in [[Israel]] by the [[Jordan River]]. The city is mentioned extensively in the [[Bible]]. God eventually ordered the destruction of the entire city, along with the killing of every man, women, child and infant.
The city is mentioned extensively in the [[Bible]].
In the book of [[Joshua]], Jericho is taken by the [[Israelites]] with the help of God. {{bible quote|When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.|book=Joshua|chap=6|verses=20}}
==Destruction of Jericho==
In the book of [[Joshua]], Jericho is utterly destroyed by the [[Israelites]] with the help of God. {{bible quote|When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.|book=Joshua|chap=6|verses=20}}
=== Spying on Jericho===
Before crossing into the land west of the [[River Jordan]], Joshua sent two spies to look over the land. The king of Jericho heard that two Israelite spies were within his city and ordered them to be brought out to him. The spies were charged with ascertaining where the guards were placed, whether anyone disliked the king and could help them, what weaponry and armour the guards had, when the guards changed shifts, how much food, water, and other supplies the city had, and the height and width of the walls so as to determine how to overcome the city.
The woman with whom the spies were staying was named [[Rahab]] and she protected them by hiding the two men on her roof. She tells them how the citizens of Jericho had been fearful of the Israelites ever since they defeated the Egyptians via the [[Crossing_the_Red_Sea|Red Sea miracle]] (some 40 years prior), and agrees to cover for them on condition that she and her family are spared in the upcoming battle. The spies agree provided three conditions are met:
# She must distinguish her house from the others so the soldiers will know which one to spare
# Her family must be inside the house during the battle, and
# She must not later turn on the spies.
Rahab agrees to the conditions: she hangs a scarlet rope outside her window to distinguish her house from the others.
Safely escaping the city, the two returned to Joshua and reported that the "whole land was melting with fear."
=== The battle ===
The biblical account describes the Israelites being led by [[Joshua]] and crossing the Jordan into Canaan where they laid siege to the city of Jericho. There God spoke to Joshua telling him to march around the city once every day for six days with the seven priests carrying ram's horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day they were to march around the city seven times and the priests were to blow their ram's horns. This Joshua did, and he commanded his people not to give a [[battlecry|war-cry]] until he told them to do so. On the seventh day, after marching around the city the seventh time, the priests sounded their ram's horns, and Joshua ordered the people to shout. The walls of the city collapsed, and the Israelites were able to charge straight into the city. The city was [[Herem|completely destroyed]], and every man, woman, and child in it was killed. Only Rahab and her family were spared, because she had hidden the two spies sent by Joshua. After this Joshua burned the remains of the city and cursed any man who would rebuild the city of Jericho would do so at the cost of his firstborn son. It is generally accepted that the biblical date for the fall of the walls is the 28th of [[Nisan]], according to the [[Hebrew calendar]].<ref>[http://www.ou.org/about/judaism/bhyom/hebrew/nissan.htm This day in Jewish History]</ref>
==Modern archaeological research==
The site believed to be the ruins of the City of Jericho described in the Bible has been excavated several times:<ref>Some sources give slightly different dates to these. The first four dates are from Anon. (Minnesota State University)</ref>
The site believed to be the ruins of the City of Jericho described in the Bible has been excavated several times:<ref>Some sources give slightly different dates to these. The first four dates are from Anon. (Minnesota State University)</ref>