Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-07-13
WAS STRONG CITY
Excavations Show That Jericho
Was Well Defended.
Remarkable Resemblance Between Its
Fortifieations and Those Discov-
cred by Sehilemann at Troy.

Few excavations of recent times
have had results of more interesting
nature than those on the site of an
Client Jericho, which lies To the east
of Jerusalem and bat few miles north
of the Dead sea. They have revealed
that tie Jews had every right 10 be
proud OF their capture of the Canaan
itish fortress, which was most remark
able In its day for strength against
an attacking army. says the Cunarder.
Ten years ago there stood at dis
lance OF a mile and a half from the
modern Jericho huge oval mound
known as Tell rs Sultan, about 400
yards long by $50 yards at its greatest
breadth. and rising from 10 TO 90 feet
above the level of the surrounding
plain. with few smaller mounds
standing on the top.
Professor Sellin began work on this,
aided by the Austro-llungarian gov
eminent. He unearthed a tremendous
surrounding wall and part of the inte-
ror of the town, including the citadel
within the northern end of the oval.
The outer wall proved TO consist of
three parts. The lowest section was
a solid natural rock foundation, with
few feet of loan and gravel on IT.
On this was built a stone wall about
is feet high. the two lower courses
being of enormous blocks, in some
cases as large rs feet by 3. while in
the subsequent ones the stones grow
gradually less in size. The stone wall
itself also dlminishes in thickness as
il ascends, being 3 feet at its base.
The top section is of mud brick which
reaches now to a height of about $
feet. but may originally have been
considerably higher. Towers of mud
brick project at intervals around the
whole Enclosure.
Such fertilization must indeed
have been difficult TO capture, especial
IL as in the central tier of the wall
the spaces between the blocks were
filled with smaller stones rs a protec-
ton against the besiegers' tools. The
builders were very skilful craftsmen.
Those who have examined both the
remains of Jericho and Troy find
strong resemblances between the walls
lust described and those of the 'Sec-
ond city" discovered by Professor
Schiliemann at Troy and it is sug-
gested that the architects had some
Thing in common or learned from the
same masters.
The citudcl at Jericho is hardly less
Interesting than the outer fortifica-
lions It's walls are built i'm much the
same way, but they are double, with
a space of II to II feet behind them.
Two towers rise at the two northern
angles Within is ~ perfect warren
of small houses" with only single
thoroughfare among them, as IS the
case with many eastern baZaars of to-
day. These houses Of which one is
i'm very fair state of preservation,
seem 10 be later in date than the city
walls and to belong to The period after
the Jewish capture of the place.
The Canaauites. between the Sev-
enth and Fourteenth centuries b. c.
erected The walls and probably the
greater part. if not all. of the citadel 4;
hut the Jews. while utilizing the shell,
remoielcd the interior.
A thorough examination of the finds.
however. deduced but little as 70 the
history Of Jcricho after its fall before
the army of Joshua. Two interesting
points came out-One, that much
Egyptian pottery was in use; the 9th
or. that under the floors Of some Of
the houses were earthenware jars, con-
tanning the bodies of infants.
The sand which composed the
mound of Tel es Sultan has had an
excellent preservative effect, and now
that much Of IT has been cleared away
il is possible TO realize wildly how
imposing a place Jericho must have
once looked from the plain for miles
around.