Joshua and Jericho
Question
Can you give me the specifics pertaining to the walls of Jericho? I am looking for size, dimensions, etc.
Answer
There have been three Jericho’s during its long history (beginning 8000 BC). They are on three different sites. They are the Jericho of Joshua (often called the Old Testament Jericho). It is identified with the mount of Tell esSultan about a mile from the village of er-Riha. The modern Jericho, which is the Jericho of the Crusades. It is located about seventeen miles northeast of Jerusalem. The New Testament Jericho (the Jericho of Herod) is identified with the mounds of Tulul Abu el-Alyiq a little less than a mile from modern Jericho.
In 1930 to 1936 the British archaeologist John Garstang believed that he found evidence of Joshua’s destruction of the city. He discovered an inner wall about twelve feet thick and an outer wall about six feet thick. However, in 1952, Kathleen Kenyon found evidence that conflicted with that of Garstang. She discovered that little of the city of Joshua’s day remained. The most spectacular discoveries made by Kenyon were the Stone Age defenses, including a tower dating to about 7000 BC.
It may be fair to say at this point that the walls of Jericho as described in Joshua have not been discovered. However, this does not mean that the story is in anyway untrue. An added historical note: the size of the Jericho of Joshua was about six acres.
