Battle of Jericho Bible Story Summary Joshua 1:1 - 6:25 Battle of Jericho - Story Summary The battle of Jericho featured one of the most astounding miracles in the Bible, proving that God stood with the Israelites. After the death of Moses , God chose Joshua , son of Nun, to be the leader of the Israelite people. They set about to conquer the land of Canaan , under the Lord's guidance. God said to Joshua, "Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9, NIV ). Spies from the Israelites sneaked into the walled city of Jericho and stayed at the house of Rahab , a prostitute. But Rahab had faith in God. She hid the spies from the king's soldiers, and when the time was right, she helped the spies escape out a window and down a rope, since her house was built into the city wall. Rahab made the spies swear an oath. She promised not to give their plans away, and in return, they swore to spare Rahab and her family when the battle of Jericho began.

She was to tie a scarlet cord in her window as a sign of their protection. Meanwhile, the Israelite people continued to move into Canaan. God commanded Joshua to have the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant into the center of the Jordan River , which was at flood stage. As soon as they stepped into the river, the water stopped flowing. It piled up in heaps upstream and downstream, so the people could cross on dry ground. God performed a miracle for Joshua, just as he had done for Moses, by parting the Red Sea . God had a strange plan for the battle of Jericho. He told Joshua to have the armed men march around the city once each day, for six days. The priests were to carry the ark, blowing trumpets, but the soldiers were to keep silent. On the seventh day, the assembly marched around the walls of Jericho seven times. Joshua told them that by God's order, every living thing in the city must be destroyed, except Rahab and her family. All articles of silver, gold, bronze and iron were to go into the Lord's treasury. At Joshua's command, the men gave a great shout, and Jericho's walls fell down flat!

The Israelite army rushed in and conquered the city. Only Rahab and her family were spared. Points of Interest From the Battle of Jericho Story Joshua felt unqualified for the monumental task of taking over for Moses, but God promised to be with him every step of the way, just as he had been for Moses. This same God is with us today, protecting and guiding us. Rahab the prostitute made the right choice. She went with God, instead of the evil people of Jericho. Joshua spared Rahab and her family in the battle of Jericho. In the New Testament, we learn that God favored her by making Rahab one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ , the Savior of the World. Joshua's strict obedience to God is a key lesson from this story. At every turn, Joshua did exactly as he was told and the Israelites prospered under his leadership. An ongoing theme in the Old Testament is that when the Jews obeyed God, they did well. When they disobeyed, the consequences were bad. The same is true for us today. As Moses' apprentice, Joshua learned firsthand that he wouldn't always understand God's ways.

Human nature sometimes made Joshua want to question God's plans, but instead he chose to obey and watch what happened. Joshua is an excellent example of humility before God. Questions for Reflection Joshua's strong faith in God led him to obey, no matter how illogical God's command might be. Joshua also drew from the past, remembering the impossible deeds God had accomplished through Moses. Do you trust God with your life? Have you forgotten how he brought you through past troubles? God has not changed. He promises to be with you wherever you go. Joshua 6 NLT - The Fall of Jericho - Now the gates of - Bible Gateway Joshua 6New Living Translation (NLT) The Fall of Jericho 6 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn.

On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” 6 So Joshua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram’s horn.” 7 Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord.” 8 After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant followed behind them. 9 Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. 10 “Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout.

Then shout!” 11 So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp. 12 Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. 14 On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days. 15 On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. 16 The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town! 17 Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed[ a ] as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.

18 “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. 19 Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.” 20 When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. 21 They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. 22 Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.” 23 The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel. 24 Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord’s house.

25 So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day. 26 At that time Joshua invoked this curse: “May the curse of the Lord fall on anyone who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son, he will lay its foundation. At the cost of his youngest son, he will set up its gates.” 27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land. Footnotes: 6:17 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering; similarly in 6:18 , 21 . Jericho - CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science Jericho Jump to: navigation , search Arial view of Tell es-Sultan (ancient Jericho) Jericho ( Hebrew : ירחו, Yerēkhō; Arabic : أريحا, Arīchā) or “The City of the Palms” in the Bible, is one of the most excavated sites in Israel.

Once a favored winter-resort of Herod and a key city in the control of Canaan, Jericho played an important role in the Bible. It was an important historical, cultural, and political center located northwest of the Dead Sea . Commonly known as “the oldest city in the world,” the city is perhaps best known from the Biblical story of a great victory over its Canaanite citizens by the Israelite leader Joshua . In the story, the walls of the heavily fortified city were destroyed with divine assistance during the year Date::1400 BC . The site of ancient Jericho, known today as Tell es-Sultan, has been the focus of several archaeological excavations to investigate the Biblical story. The original settlement was built on a hill, or “tell”. The results of these excavations suggest that the walls of Tell es-Sultan have been built and rebuilt many times, due mainly to collapse caused by earthquakes, which are common in the region. [1] Contents Description Location of Jericho near the Dead Sea . In Deuteronomy 9:1 (ASV), Moses tells the Israelites that they are going to come upon a country that was more powerful and stronger than they.

It would have had large cities with walls that reached to the sky. The fortifications were extensive. The tell, or hill, which Jericho rested atop was surrounded by an enormous rampart made of mud bricks with a stone wall around its base. This rock wall was around twelve to fifteen meters in height. The earthen wall that was on top of it was at least six feet thick and up to twenty-six feet high. At the top of the embankments sat another earthen wall about forty-six feet taller than the ground level of the lower wall. It was supposed to be physically impossible for the Israelites to breach this incredible city. Inside of the upper wall lay about six acres of land; the total area of the upper city and its fortifications equaled about nine acres, approximately fifty percent larger than the lower area. If there were the typically assumed two-hundred people per acre, then there would have been a population of around twelve-hundred people in the upper level. This does not include the people living in the area between the rampart between upper and lower levels of wall; nor does it include the surrounding Canaanites who would have taken refuge in Jericho once the attack started. The people of Jericho were well prepared for a siege.

They city, like most, was conveniently located by a spring for water; this spring is still there today. The harvest had been gathered at the time of the attack, so they did not run out of food. It has been estimated that at least a few years worth of food was stored within the city. Houses were also built into the walls, like Rahab’s; the city wall formed the back wall of the house. [2] The ancient city of Jericho is located about two kilometers away from its modern namesake. During Jesus’ time, he would have seen a new structure built on the wadi banks by Herod the Great. [3] Excavations On the seventh day, the walls fell as the people honored what God told them to do. Every person in Jericho was killed, except for the woman Rahab and her family who were spared for her aid of the spies. Charles Warren (1868) Major-General Charles Warren was a British engineer who was sent to survey Palestine in 1867. He sank a total of six shafts into the tell where Jericho was buried, but failed to find anything there that held his interest.

The first shaft had in fact been placed in the center of an ancient Bronze Age town wall. [4] He belived that the location of the mound (by the mouth of the wadi) suggested that it was a defensive structure. [5] Ernst Sellin and Carl Watzinger (1907 - 1911) After abandoning an unpromising dig and being rejected for another site, Sellin finally began an excavation at Jericho in 1907. Since he was not an archaeologist, very few professionals were willing to partner with him save for Carl Watzinger. [6] This team unearthed town walls from the Early Bronze Age and houses from the Israelite's occupation of Jericho. [5] John Garstang (1930 - 1936) John Garstang at 80 years of age, July 1956 John Garstang was a British archaeologist. His techniques could be considered primitive by today’s standards, but he did the best he could at the time. He is known for finding a network of walls which he believed to have fallen suddenly, not collapsed from time and decay.

He dated the walls to about 1400 B.C. To him, the city was clearly destroyed by the Israelites, a belief that clearly opposed the others of the time. [7] Kathleen Kenyon (1952 - 1958) Kathleen Kenyon is probably one of the most famous archaeologists of Jericho. Her equipment and techniques were far better and more in depth than Garstang ’s; she took a plethora of soil samples and took meticulous records of the strata. One of the most notable methods she used was implementing trenches so that she could both dig and keep a complete record of the strata layers. Even when she had to unearth huge sections, like a whole house, she dug square by square leaving narrow walls between each. Her goal was to retrace the entire history of Jericho to its formation. While digging, she came upon the first wall and a series of houses and adjoining courtyards. She dated these at 10,000 B.C. closer inspection brought about the discovery that the wall had been destroyed and rebuilt at least seventeen times. Another incredible find was a tomb containing multiple human skulls. Each was plastered with clay and then heavily decorated with paints.

Kenyon, unlike Garstang, found no evidence of any defensive structures or fortifications and concluded that Jericho had been laid to waste long before Joshua arrived. To her, there was nothing left for Joshua to destroy and so the Bible, to her, was inaccurate. [7] Kenyon had all of the evidence staring her in the face, and yet she decided that "The excavation of Jericho, therefore, has thrown no light on the walls of Jericho of which the destruction is so vividly described in the Book of Jericho.” And the skeptics rewarded her for it. Bryant Wood Bryant Wood did not agree with Kenyon's decision. In 1990, he reevaluated Kenyon's work. He came to the conclusion that the pottery discovered by Kenyon coincides perfectly with the Biblical timeline when compared to other pottery of the time. Carbon dating also gives the ashes and charcoal an age of around 1410 B.C. [7] Archaeological Finds Other than Jerusalem, Jericho is the most heavily excavated site in Israel. There have been multiple digs over the years. The Walls The walls of Jericho all collapsed save for the wall that faced to the north.

This would have been where Rahab’s house was located according to the Biblical account of Jericho’s demise. Archaeologists have found that along with the lone standing wall, the Bible was also correct in its description of the house on the walls. [8] Kenyon found while investigating a pile of red bricks at the base of the revetment wall, piling up almost to the top. These bricks “probably came from the wall on the summit of the bank [and/or] … the brickwork above the revetment.” This pile of bricks would have easily allowed the Israelites to go “into the city, every man straight before him” Joshua 6:20 (ASV). The walls have also been found to have fallen outwards, unlike they were designed to. The walls crubmled outwards only at the base; bricks fell from the ramparts to create a slope so the Israelites could climb into the city. [9] Destruction According to the Bible, the Israelites were told to burn everything and take nothing from Jericho. Archaeological proof further supports the Bible through this aspect. One level of the excavation consists of a layer of ashes and burned debris approximately three feet thick.

According to Kenyon “The destruction was complete. Walls and floors were blackened or reddened by fire, and every room was filled with fallen bricks, timbers, and household utensils; in most rooms the fallen debris was heavily burnt, but the collapse of the walls of the eastern rooms seems to have taken place before they were affected by the fire.” In this debris was also found many charred jars of grain. Grain in those days was very valuable as a food source and a monetary supplement. For them to be left behind in a fire was very odd indeed. But the Bible gives a specific explanation since the Israelites were told to dedicate everything in the city to the Lord. Other peoples would have taken the grain without a second thought. This food also provides another argument for the Bible. If the people of Jericho had heavy fortifications, which has been found to be true, large food stores, which have also been found, and were built right on top of a water supply, they would have easily outlasted anyone who tried to subdue them through siege. Clearly, siege was not the downfall of Jericho. Almost no grain was consumed, proving that the siege of the Israelites was short just like the Bible said.

[2] Neolithic Tower Jericho has been called the oldest city in the world based on this single discovery. Found by Kathleen Kenyon in her Trench 1, the Neolithic Tower spans eight meters in diameter and is attached to the inside of a four-meter-thick wall. This has been dated to about 7000 to 8000 B.C. [3] Discovery Summary As the finds were dated again after it was discovered that Kenyon had committed an error in her own dating, the fall of the city was found to be around 1400 BC, consistent with the Bible. The fortifications of the city were virtually indestructible. The city had two outer walls, the base wall being 5 meters thick, and the inner wall being 6 meters thick. The base wall was below the inner wall, which would have made it infinitely more difficult for intruders to get through should they ever have been able to breach the first. Both walls were 8 meters tall, a huge feat to overcome. In the Hebrew translation of the Bible , it states that the wall 'fell beneath itself'. After searching, there was a substantial amount of evidence that this is indeed what happened.

A mud-brick retaining wall collapsed against the stone base wall, which was found by several teams who excavated the site. As stated in the Bible, the Israelites burned the city and everything in it. The ample evidence of this fire was so great it was thought to be the only reason the city was destroyed in Kenyon's first uncovering. Biblical Text Israelites encountered Jericho after their exodus from Egypt . Joshua , the leader of the Israelites at that time, received a command from God as to how the city was to be taken. With the massive outer two walls (One 5 meters thick, the other 6 meters, and both eight meters tall.) Jericho was a virtually impregnable city. But under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites had no need to get over the walls. The Battle of Jericho By: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794-1872). Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men.

Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in." So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it." And he ordered the people, "Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD." When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the LORD went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the LORD's covenant followed them. The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. But Joshua had commanded the people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout.

Then shout!" So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there. Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding. So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days. On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.

But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury." 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. They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD's house. But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day. At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: "Cursed before the LORD is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations;at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates." So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. Joshua 6:1-27 (ASV) Featured Article BBC - Religions - Judaism: Joshua Religions This article examines the story of Joshua, the Bible's most famous warrior. On this page Successor to the famous leader, Moses, Joshua is the Bible's most famous warrior. Joshua and the walls of Jericho The story of the walls of Jericho is one of the most violent episodes in the Bible. An army of nomads emerges from the desert and destroys a heavily fortified city...

not by force, but by faith. Joshua sent scouts to spy out the enemy city © The story is set in the Middle East, some 3000 years ago. Even then, the area was plagued by war. The story begins with Joshua and his army preparing an attack in the mountains to the north-east of the Dead Sea. From the mountains, Joshua looks west across the river Jordan toward his destination. According to the Bible, this was the territory God once pledged to Abraham and his descendants. At Joshua's command are some 40,000 Israelite men, descendants of the Hebrew slaves who fled Egypt. There is one problem: the country is already inhabited by Canaanites. Like any good military commander, Joshua's first requirement is to gather military intelligence. He sends out two spies across the Jordan River ahead of time. They go immediately to an inn that's run by a prostitute. In the ancient world, brothels and taverns were obvious places to gather information. The spies meet a prostitute called Rahab. But things soon go wrong. No sooner have they come to her house than the King of Jericho sends his men, because he knows that the spies have arrived. Rahab takes charge of the whole situation.

She hides the spies in the stocks of grain on her roof. When the King's guards come, Rahab says to them: "Some men came, you're right, but they left a long time ago when the city gate closed. If you rush ahead and go down to the Jordan, I think you'll find them there." Having thus diverted the pursuers, she goes up to the roof and tells the spies that she knows that Israel will conquer the land. She knows that God has promised the land to them. The Bible tells how the army walked around the walled city of Jericho once a day for six days. Each time they walked priests blew trumpets. On the seventh day they circled seven times and the walls of the city came crashing down. Joshua and his army conquered the city, massacring every person they found. Only Rahab and her family were saved. The once mighty city of Jericho had been set alight. Joshua and his people then continued to destroy other towns and cities and Joshua succeeded in conquering Canaan. Evidence The walls came crashing down © Many archaeologists have struggled to find evidence of a historical battle at Jericho at the time the story takes place in the Bible.

Through their quests they have uncovered many intriguing facts about the Canaanites and Israelites which challenge many assumptions. Archaeologists have discovered that a series of earthquakes swept through the Eastern Mediterranean, including where Jericho stood, in around 1250 BC, and certainly brought walls crumbling down. However, the dates don't match with the time Joshua was supposedly conquering the land. Maybe the memory of the destruction of the towns inspired scribes to write about a great warrior who conquered cities with God's will. Or perhaps the catastrophic collapse of the old world through the earthquakes gave way to opportunism and Israelite groups took advantage of the destruction of the existing Canaanite cities and began to settle in Israel. There is a twist to the story. Recent DNA research shows that the Canaanites and Israelites were not just similar in their cultures, they were genetically identical. Perhaps the Israelites did not conquer the land at all - they were there all along. Is then, the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho complete fiction? Well, perhaps not. Joshua's military tactics are plausible and it is possible that some Israelites did travel across from Egypt. Authors could have embellished stories of their ancestors.

The story is most probably a culmination of separate oral traditions. Maybe there as a historical figure called Joshua who travelled with his people to a new land. Whatever is the truth behind the bloody story of Joshua and the tumbling walls, it is fair to say that the issues behind the conflict still resonate today. One man's liberation is another man's oppression. Joshua 6:1-27, Good News Bible (GNB) The gates of Jericho were kept shut and guarded to keep the Israelites out. No one could enter or leave the city. The LORD said to Joshua, “I am putting into... Traditional | Alphabetic 1The gates of Jericho were kept shut and guarded to keep the Israelites out. No one could enter or leave the city. 2The LORD said to Joshua, “I am putting into your hands Jericho, with its king and all its brave soldiers. 3You and your soldiers are to march round the city once a day for six days. 4Seven priests, each carrying a trumpet, are to go in front of the Covenant Box. On the seventh day you and your soldiers are to march round the city seven times while the priests blow the trumpets. 5Then they are to sound one long note.

As soon as you hear it, all the people are to give a loud shout, and the city walls will collapse. Then the whole army will go straight into the city.” 6Joshua called the priests and said to them, “Take the Covenant Box, and seven of you go in front of it, carrying trumpets.” 7Then he ordered the people to start marching round the city, with an advance guard going on ahead of the LORD's Covenant Box. 8-9So, just as Joshua had ordered, an advance guard started out ahead of the priests who were blowing trumpets; behind these came the priests who were carrying the Covenant Box, followed by a rearguard. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10But Joshua had ordered the people not to shout, not to say a word until he gave the order. 11So he told this group of men to take the LORD's Covenant Box round the city once. Then they came back to camp and spent the night there.

12-13Joshua got up early the next morning, and for the second time the priests and soldiers marched round the city in the same order as the day before: first, the advance guard; next, the seven priests blowing the seven trumpets; then, the priests carrying the LORD's Covenant Box; and finally, the rearguard. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 14On this second day they again marched round the city once and then returned to camp. They did this for six days. 15On the seventh day they got up at daybreak and marched seven times round the city in the same way — this was the only day that they marched round it seven times. 16The seventh time round, when the priests were about to sound the trumpets, Joshua ordered the people to shout, and he said, “The LORD has given you the city! 17The city and everything in it must be totally destroyed as an offering to the LORD. Only the prostitute Rahab and her household will be spared, because she hid our spies. 18But you are not to take anything that is to be destroyed; if you do, you will bring trouble and destruction on the Israelite camp.

19Everything made of silver, gold, bronze, or iron is set apart for the LORD. It is to be put in the LORD's treasury.” 20 # Heb 11.30 So the priests blew the trumpets. As soon as the people heard it, they gave a loud shout, and the walls collapsed. Then all the army went straight up the hill into the city and captured it. 21With their swords they killed everyone in the city, men and women, young and old. They also killed the cattle, sheep, and donkeys. 22Joshua then told the two men who had served as spies, “Go into the prostitute's house and bring her and her family out, as you promised her.” 23So they went and brought Rahab out, along with her father and mother, her brothers, and the rest of her family. They took them all, family and slaves, to safety near the Israelite camp. 24Then they set fire to the city and burnt it to the ground, along with everything in it, except the things made of gold, silver, bronze, and iron, which they took and put in the LORD's treasury.

25#Heb 11.31But Joshua spared the lives of the prostitute Rahab and all her relatives, because she had hidden the two spies that he had sent to Jericho. (Her descendants have lived in Israel to this day.) 26 # 1 Kgs 16.34 At that time Joshua issued a solemn warning: “Anyone who tries to rebuild the city of Jericho will be under the LORD's curse.Whoever lays the foundation will lose his eldest son;Whoever builds the gates will lose his youngest.” 27So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread through the whole country. The Walls of Jericho The Walls of Jericho Non-Technical - Jun 09, 2008 - by Bryant G. Wood PhD Share/recommend this article: This article was first published in the Spring 1999 issue of Bible and Spade. Excerpt Jericho was once thought to be a “Bible problem” because of the seeming disagreement between archaeology and the Bible. When the archaeology is correctly interpreted, however, the opposite is the case. The archaeological evidence supports the historical accuracy of the Biblical account in every detail.

Every aspect of the story that could possibly be verified by the findings of archaeology is, in fact, verified... Continue reading Explore Related Articles Researching Jericho It was not until I was doing research for my Ph.D. thesis in the early 1980s that my attention was d... Did the Israelites Conquer Jericho? A New Look at the Archaeological Evidence The story of the Israelite conquest of Jericho (Joshua 2-6) is one of the best known and best loved ... Israel's Origins For some time now many archaeologists, based on certain interpretations of the available evidence, h... Tags Support Like this artice? Our Ministry relies on the generosity of people like you. Every small donation helps us develop and publish great articles. Please support ABR! When one hears the name “Jericho” one naturally thinks of Israelites marching, trumpets sounding and walls falling. It is a wonderful story of faith and victory that we enjoy reading and telling in Sunday School class, but did it really happen? The skeptic would say no, it is merely a folk tale to explain the ruins at Jericho.

The reason for this negative outlook is the excavation carried out at the site in the 1950s under the direction of British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon. She concluded, It is a sad fact that of the town walls of the Late Bronze Age, within which period the attack by the Israelites must fall by any dating, not a trace remains.…The excavation of Jericho, therefore, has thrown no light on the walls of Jericho of which the destruction is so vividly described in the Book of Joshua (Kenyon 1957: 261–62). Thomas A. Holland, who was editor and co-author of Kenyon’s excavation reports, summarized the apparent results as follows: Kenyon concluded, with reference to the military conquest theory and the L[ate] B[ronze Age] walls, that there was no archaeological data to support the thesis that the town had been surrounded by a wall at the end of LB I (ca. 1400 BCE...) (Holland 1997: 223). H.J.

Franken, a member of the Jericho excavation staff, stated, Miss Kenyon’s work has presented scholars with the hard fact that if Joshua was active with the incoming Israelites either c. 1400 or c. 1200 B.C. he would not have been able to capture a great walled city of Jericho, because there was no city of Jericho in these periods…the huge ruins of the Hyksos city gave rise to the folktale attached to the hero Joshua (1965: 190, 200). According to Kenyon’s dating, there was no city for the Israelites to conquer at the end of the 15th century BC, the Biblical date for the event. The Jericho of Joshua’s time could not be found-it was lost! Through our research, however, we have found the lost city of Jericho, the Jericho attacked by the Israelites. Aerial view of Jericho, looking south. The trenches and squares visible today are from Kathleen Kenyon’s excavations in the 1950s and the more recent Italian-Palestinian excavation which began in 1997.

Fortifications of Jericho Before the Israelites entered the promised land Moses told them, “You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky” (Dt 9:1). The meticulous work of Kenyon showed that Jericho was indeed heavily fortified and that it had been burned by fire. Unfortunately, she misdated her finds, resulting in what seemed to be a discrepancy between the discoveries of archaeology and the Bible. She concluded that the Bronze Age city of Jericho was destroyed about 1550 BC by the Egyptians. An in-depth analysis of the evidence, however, reveals that the destruction took place at the end of the 15th century BC (end of the Late Bronze I period), exactly when the Bible says the Conquest occurred (Wood 1990). Pottery found at Jericho by John Garstang. This distinctive pottery, decorated with red and black geometric patterns, was in use only in the 15th century BC, the time of the Israelite Conquest according to Biblical chronology.

The mound, or “tell,” of Jericho was surrounded by a great earthen rampart, or embankment, with a stone retaining wall at its base. The retaining wall was some 12–15 ft high. On top of that was a mudbrick wall 6 ft thick and about 20–26 ft high (Sellin and Watzinger 1973: 58). At the crest of the embankment was a similar mudbrick wall whose base was roughly 46 ft above the ground level outside the retaining wall. This is what loomed high above the Israelites as they marched around the city each day for seven days. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for the Israelites to penetrate the impregnable bastion of Jericho. Plan of the ruins of Jericho. A-area excavated by John Garstang where he found evidence for the destruction of Jericho by the Israelites which he dated to ca. 1400 BC. B-Two 8x8 m squares excavated by Kathleen Kenyon where she found similar evidence for destruction, but misdated it to 1550 BC and attributed it to the Egyptians.

Within the upper wall was an area of approximately 6 acres, while the total area of the upper city and fortification system together was half again as large, or about 9 acres. Based on the archaeologist’s rule of thumb of 100 persons per acre, the population of the upper city would have been about 600. From excavations carried out by a German team in the first decade of this century, we know that people were also living on the embankment between the upper and lower city walls. In addition, those Canaanites living in surrounding villages would have fled to Jericho for safety. Thus, we can assume that there were several thousand people inside the walls when the Israelites came against the city. Schematic cross-section of the fortification system at Jericho. The Fallen Walls The citizens of Jericho were well prepared for a siege. A copious spring which provided water for ancient, as well as modern, Jericho lay inside the city walls. At the time of the attack, the harvest had just been taken in (Jos 3:15), so the citizens had an abundant supply of food.

This has been borne out by many large jars full of grain found in the Canaanite homes by John Garstang in his excavation in the 1930s and also by Kenyon. With a plentiful food supply and ample water, the inhabitants of Jericho could have held out for several years. After the seventh trip around the city on the seventh day, Scripture tells us that the wall “fell flat” (Jos 6:20). A more accurate rendering of the Hebrew word here would be “fell beneath itself.” Is there evidence for such an event at Jericho? It turns out that there is ample evidence that the mudbrick city wall collapsed and was deposited at the base of the stone retaining wall at the time the city met its end. Section drawing of Kenyon’s west trench, showing the fallen mud bricks from the collapsed city wall (red area to the left of retaining wall KD). Kenyon’s work was the most detailed. On the west side of the tell, at the base of the retaining, or revetment, wall, she found, fallen red bricks piling nearly to the top of the revetment.

These probably came from the wall on the summit of the bank [and/or]…the brickwork above the revetment (Kenyon 1981: 110). In other words, she found a heap of bricks from the fallen city walls! The renewed Italian-Palestinian excavations found exactly the same thing at the southern end of the mound in 1997. Excavations at the outer (lower) fortification wall by the three major expeditions to Jericho. At the north end (numbers 1–5), a portion of the mud brick wall (red) atop the stone retaining wall survived, demonstrating that the city wall did not fall in this area. Nothing remains of the mud brick city wall at other points investigated, showing that it had collapsed everywhere else (numbers 6–13). Remnants of the collapsed city wall (red) were actually found still in place in three places at Jericho: number 11 (German excavation), number 12 (Kenyon’s excavation), and the 1997 Italian-Palestinian excavation extending Kenyon’s south trench at number 8.

According to the Bible, Rahab’s house was incorporated into the fortification system (Jos 2:15). If the walls fell, how was her house spared? As you recall, the spies had instructed Rahab to bring her family into her house and they would be rescued. When the Israelites stormed the city, Rahab and her family were saved as promised (Jos 6:17, 22–23). At the north end of the tell of Jericho, archaeologists made some astounding discoveries that seem to relate to Rahab. The German excavation of 1907-1909 found that on the north a short stretch of the lower city wall did not fall as everywhere else. A portion of that mudbrick wall was still standing to a height of 8 ft (Sellin and Watzinger 1973: 58). What is more, there were houses built against the wall! It is quite possible that this is where Rahab’s house was located. Since the city wall formed the back wall of the houses, the spies could have readily escaped.

From this location on the north side of the city, it was only a short distance to the hills of the Judean wilderness where the spies hid for three days (Jos 2:16, 22). Real estate values must have been low here, since the houses were positioned on the embankment between the upper and lower city walls. Not the best place to live in time of war! This area was no doubt the overflow from the upper city and the poor part of town, perhaps even a slum district. After the city walls fell, how could the Israelites surmount the 12–15 foot high retaining wall at the base of the tell? Excavations have shown that the bricks from the collapsed walls fell in such a way as to form a ramp against the retaining wall. The Israelites could merely climb up over the pile of rubble, up the embankment, and enter the city. The Bible is very precise in its description of how the Israelites entered the city: “The people went up into the city, every man straight before him” (Jos 6:20, KJV). The Israelites had to go up, and that is what archaeology has revealed.

They had to go from ground level at the base of the tell to the top of the rampart in order to enter the city. Dr. Wood points to collapsed mud bricks from the city wall that fell to the base of the retaining wall at Jericho. His left foot rests on part of the fallen wall. (Italian-Palestinian excavation, 1997, location 8.) Destruction by Fire The Israelites “burned the whole city and everything in it” (Jos 6: 24). Once again, the discoveries of archaeology have verified the truth of this record. A portion of the city destroyed by the Israelites was excavated on the east side of the tell. Wherever the archaeologists reached this level they found a layer of burned ash and debris about 3 ft thick. Kenyon described the massive devastation: The destruction was complete. Walls and floors were blackened or reddened by fire, and every room was filled with fallen bricks, timbers, and household utensils; in most rooms the fallen debris was heavily burnt, but the collapse of the walls of the eastern rooms seems to have taken place before they were affected by the fire (Kenyon 1981: 370).

Excavations of John Garstang at Jericho showing the remains of the city destroyed by the Israelites in about 1400 BC. Exterior of the retaining wall in Kenyon's west trench. Section drawing of Kenyon’s excavation showing house walls from the city destroyed by the Israelites and the thick burn layer (lower red layer). Both Garstang and Kenyon found many storage jars full of grain that had been caught in the fiery destruction. This is a unique find in the annals of archaeology. Grain was valuable, not only as a source of food, but also as a commodity which could be bartered. Under normal circumstances, valuables such as grain would have been plundered by the conquerors. Why was the grain left to be burned at Jericho? The Bible provides the answer. Joshua commanded the Israelites: The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them.

Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into His treasury (Jos 6:17–19). Jars full of grain found by John Garstang at Jericho. They were charred in the fire that the Israelites set to destroy the Canaanite city. The grain left at Jericho and found by archaeologists in modern times gives graphic testimony to the obedience of the Israelites nearly three and a half millennia ago. Only Achan disobeyed, leading to the debacle at Ai described in Joshua 7. Such a large quantity of grain left untouched gives silent testimony to the truth of yet another aspect of the Biblical account. A heavily fortified city with an abundant supply of food and water would normally take many months, even years, to subdue. The Bible says that Jericho fell after only seven days. The jars found in the ruins of Jericho were full, showing that the siege was short since the people inside the walls consumed very little of the grain.

Lessons of Jericho Jericho was once thought to be a “Bible problem” because of the seeming disagreement between archaeology and the Bible. When the archaeology is correctly interpreted, however, the opposite is the case. The archaeological evidence supports the historical accuracy of the Biblical account in every detail. Every aspect of the story that could possibly be verified by the findings of archaeology is, in fact, verified. There are a number of theories as to how the walls of Jericho came down. Both Garstang and Kenyon found evidence of earthquake activity at the time the city met its end. If God did use an earthquake to accomplish His purposes that day, it was still a miracle since it happened at precisely the right moment, and was manifested in such a way as to protect Rahab’s house. No matter what agency God used, it was ultimately the faith of the Israelites that brought the walls down: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days” (Heb 11:30). The example of Jericho is a wonderful spiritual lesson for God’s people yet today. There are times when we find ourselves facing enormous “walls” that are impossible to break down by human strength.

If we put our faith in God and follow His commandments, even when they seem foolish to us, He will perform “great and awesome deeds” (Dt 4:34) and give us the victory. See Dr. Wood discuss the evidence in this cutting edge video, Jericho Unearthed. Jericho Unearthed can be purchased in the ABR bookstore. See Dr. Wood present his research on Jericho in this video from 2009. Bibliography 1965 Tell es-Sultan and Old Testament Jericho. Oudtestamentische Studiën 14: 189–200. Holland, T.A. 1997 Jericho. Pp. 220–24 in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East, Vol. 3, ed. E.M. Myers. New York: Oxford University Press. Kenyon, K.M. 1957 Digging Up Jericho. London: Ernest Benn. 1981 Excavations at Jericho, Vol. 3. London: British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem. Sellin, E., and Watzinger, C.

1973 Jericho die Ergebnisse der Ausgrabungen. Osnabrück: Otto Zeller, reprint of 1913 edition. Wood, B.G. The Walls of Jericho - Associates for Biblical Research The Walls of Jericho Contributors The Associates for Biblical Research is a Christian apologetics ministry dedicated to demonstrating the historical reliability of the Bible through archaeological and biblical research. Founded in 1969, ABR is unique as the only evangelical Christian organization conducting professional archaeological field work in Israel. For about the ministry of ABR, visit When one hears the name “Jericho” one naturally thinks of Israelites marching, trumpets sounding and walls falling. It is a wonderful story of faith and victory that we enjoy reading and telling in Sunday School class, but did it really happen? The skeptic would say no, it is merely a folk tale to explain the ruins at Jericho. The reason for this negative outlook is the excavation carried out at the site in the 1950s under the direction of British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon.

She concluded, It is a sad fact that of the town walls of the Late Bronze Age, within which period the attack by the Israelites must fall by any dating, not a trace remains.…The excavation of Jericho, therefore, has thrown no light on the walls of Jericho of which the destruction is so vividly described in the Book of Joshua (Kenyon 1957: 261–62). Thomas A. Holland, who was editor and co-author of Kenyon’s excavation reports, summarized the apparent results as follows: Kenyon concluded, with reference to the military conquest theory and the L[ate] B[ronze Age] walls, that there was no archaeological data to support the thesis that the town had been surrounded by a wall at the end of LB I (ca. 1400 BCE...) (Holland 1997: 223). H.J. Franken, a member of the Jericho excavation staff, stated, Miss Kenyon’s work has presented scholars with the hard fact that if Joshua was active with the incoming Israelites either c. 1400 or c. 1200 B.C.

he would not have been able to capture a great walled city of Jericho, because there was no city of Jericho in these periods… the huge ruins of the Hyksos city gave rise to the folktale attached to the hero Joshua (1965: 190, 200). According to Kenyon’s dating, there was no city for the Israelites to conquer at the end of the 15th century BC, the Biblical date for the event. The Jericho of Joshua’s time could not be found--it was lost! Through our research, however, we have found the lost city of Jericho, the Jericho attacked by the Israelites. Fortifications of Jericho Before the Israelites entered the promised land Moses told them, “You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky” ( Dt 9:1 ). The meticulous work of Kenyon showed that Jericho was indeed heavily fortified and that it had been burned by fire. Unfortunately, she misdated her finds, resulting in what seemed to be a discrepancy between the discoveries of archaeology and the Bible.

She concluded that the Bronze Age city of Jericho was destroyed about 1550 BC by the Egyptians. An in-depth analysis of the evidence, however, reveals that the destruction took place at the end of the 15th century BC (end of the Late Bronze I period), exactly when the Bible says the Conquest occurred (Wood 1990). The mound, or “tell,” of Jericho was surrounded by a great earthen rampart, or embankment, with a stone retaining wall at its base. The retaining wall was some 12–15 ft high. On top of that was a mudbrick wall 6 ft thick and about 20–26 ft high (Sellin and Watzinger 1973: 58). At the crest of the embankment was a similar mudbrick wall whose base was roughly 46 ft above the ground level outside the retaining wall. This is what loomed high above the Israelites as they marched around the city each day for seven days. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for the Israelites to penetrate the impregnable bastion of Jericho.

Within the upper wall was an area of approximately 6 acres, while the total area of the upper city and fortification system together was half again as large, or about 9 acres. Based on the archaeologist’s rule of thumb of 100 persons per acre, the population of the upper city would have been about 600. From excavations carried out by a German team in the first decade of this century, we know that people were also living on the embankment between the upper and lower city walls. In addition, those Canaanites living in surrounding villages would have fled to Jericho for safety. Thus, we can assume that there were several thousand people inside the walls when the Israelites came against the city. The Fallen Walls The citizens of Jericho were well prepared for a siege. A copious spring which provided water for ancient, as well as modern, Jericho lay inside the city walls. At the time of the attack, the harvest had just been taken in ( Jos 3:15 ), so the citizens had an abundant supply of food.

This has been borne out by many large jars full of grain found in the Canaanite homes by John Garstang in his excavation in the 1930s and also by Kenyon. With a plentiful food supply and ample water, the inhabitants of Jericho could have held out for several years. After the seventh trip around the city on the seventh day, Scripture tells us that the wall “fell flat” ( Jos 6:20 ). A more accurate rendering of the Hebrew word here would be “fell beneath itself.” Is there evidence for such an event at Jericho? It turns out that there is ample evidence that the mudbrick city wall collapsed and was deposited at the base of the stone retaining wall at the time the city met its end. Kenyon’s work was the most detailed. On the west side of the tell, at the base of the retaining, or revetment, wall, she found, fallen red bricks piling nearly to the top of the revetment. These probably came from the wall on the summit of the bank [and/or]… the brickwork above the revetment (Kenyon 1981: 110).

In other words, she found a heap of bricks from the fallen city walls! The renewed Italian-Palestinian excavations found exactly the same thing at the southern end of the mound in 1997. According to the Bible, Rahab’s house was incorporated into the fortification system ( Jos 2:15 ). If the walls fell, how was her house spared? As you recall, the spies had instructed Rahab to bring her family into her house and they would be rescued. When the Israelites stormed the city, Rahab and her family were saved as promised ( Jos 6:17, 22–23 ). At the north end of the tell of Jericho, archaeologists made some astounding discoveries that seem to relate to Rahab. The German excavation of 1907-1909 found that on the north a short stretch of the lower city wall did not fall as everywhere else. A portion of that mudbrick wall was still standing to a height of 8 ft (Sellin and Watzinger 1973: 58). What is more, there were houses built against the wall! It is quite possible that this is where Rahab’s house was located.

Since the city wall formed the back wall of the houses, the spies could have readily escaped. From this location on the north side of the city, it was only a short distance to the hills of the Judean wilderness where the spies hid for three days ( Jos 2:16, 22 ). Real estate values must have been low here, since the houses were positioned on the embankment between the upper and lower city walls. Not the best place to live in time of war! This area was no doubt the overflow from the upper city and the poor part of town, perhaps even a slum district. After the city walls fell, how could the Israelites surmount the 12–15 foot high retaining wall at the base of the tell? Excavations have shown that the bricks from the collapsed walls fell in such a way as to form a ramp against the retaining wall. The Israelites could merely climb up over the pile of rubble, up the embankment, and enter the city. The Bible is very precise in its description of how the Israelites entered the city: “The people went up into the city, every man straight before him” ( Jos 6:20, KJV ).

The Israelites had to go up, and that is what archaeology has revealed. They had to go from ground level at the base of the tell to the top of the rampart in order to enter the city. Destruction by Fire The Israelites “burned the whole city and everything in it” ( Jos 6: 24 ). Once again, the discoveries of archaeology have verified the truth of this record. A portion of the city destroyed by the Israelites was excavated on the east side of the tell. Wherever the archaeologists reached this level they found a layer of burned ash and debris about 3 ft thick. Kenyon described the massive devastation: The destruction was complete. Walls and floors were blackened or reddened by fire, and every room was filled with fallen bricks, timbers, and household utensils; in most rooms the fallen debris was heavily burnt, but the collapse of the walls of the eastern rooms seems to have taken place before they were affected by the fire (Kenyon 1981: 370). Both Garstang and Kenyon found many storage jars full of grain that had been caught in the fiery destruction. This is a unique find in the annals of archaeology.

Grain was valuable, not only as a source of food, but also as a commodity which could be bartered. Under normal circumstances, valuables such as grain would have been plundered by the conquerors. Why was the grain left to be burned at Jericho? The Bible provides the answer. Joshua commanded the Israelites: The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into His treasury ( Jos 6:17–19 ). The grain left at Jericho and found by archaeologists in modern times gives graphic testimony to the obedience of the Israelites nearly three and a half millennia ago. Only Achan disobeyed, leading to the debacle at Ai described in Joshua 7 .

Such a large quantity of grain left untouched gives silent testimony to the truth of yet another aspect of the Biblical account. A heavily fortified city with an abundant supply of food and water would normally take many months, even years, to subdue. The Bible says that Jericho fell after only seven days. The jars found in the ruins of Jericho were full, showing that the siege was short since the people inside the walls consumed very little of the grain. Lessons of Jericho Jericho was once thought to be a “Bible problem” because of the seeming disagreement between archaeology and the Bible. When the archaeology is correctly interpreted, however, the opposite is the case. The archaeological evidence supports the historical accuracy of the Biblical account in every detail. Every aspect of the story that could possibly be verified by the findings of archaeology is, in fact, verified. There are a number of theories as to how the walls of Jericho came down. Both Garstang and Kenyon found evidence of earthquake activity at the time the city met its end. If God did use an earthquake to accomplish His purposes that day, it was still a miracle since it happened at precisely the right moment, and was manifested in such a way as to protect Rahab’s house.

No matter what agency God used, it was ultimately the faith of the Israelites that brought the walls down: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days” ( Heb 11:30 ). The example of Jericho is a wonderful spiritual lesson for God’s people yet today. There are times when we find ourselves facing enormous “walls” that are impossible to break down by human strength. If we put our faith in God and follow His commandments, even when they seem foolish to us, He will perform “great and awesome deeds” ( Dt 4:34 ) and give us the victory. See Dr. Wood discuss the evidence in this cutting edge video, Jericho Unearthed. Jericho Unearthed can be purchased in the ABR bookstore . See Dr. Wood present his research on Jericho in this video from 2009. Bibliography 1965 Tell es-Sultan and Old Testament Jericho. Oudtestamentische Studiën 14: 189–200. Holland, T.A. 1997 Jericho. Pp.

220–24 in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East, Vol. 3, ed. E.M. Myers. New York: Oxford University Press. Kenyon, K.M. 1957 Digging Up Jericho. London: Ernest Benn. 1981 Excavations at Jericho, Vol. 3. London: British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem. Sellin, E., and Watzinger, C. 1973 Jericho die Ergebnisse der Ausgrabungen. Osnabrück: Otto Zeller, reprint of 1913 edition. Wood, B.G. Joshua 6:1-27, Good News Translation (GNT) The gates of Jericho were kept shut and guarded to keep the Israelites out. No one could enter or leave the city. The Lord said to Joshua, “I am putting... Traditional | Alphabetic 1The gates of Jericho were kept shut and guarded to keep the Israelites out. No one could enter or leave the city. 2The Lord said to Joshua, “I am putting into your hands Jericho, with its king and all its brave soldiers.

3You and your soldiers are to march around the city once a day for six days. 4Seven priests, each carrying a trumpet, are to go in front of the Covenant Box. On the seventh day you and your soldiers are to march around the city seven times while the priests blow the trumpets. 5Then they are to sound one long note. As soon as you hear it, all the people are to give a loud shout, and the city walls will collapse. Then the whole army will go straight into the city.” 6Joshua called the priests and told them, “Take the Covenant Box, and seven of you go in front of it, carrying trumpets.” 7Then he ordered the people to start marching around the city, with an advance guard going on ahead of the Lord's Covenant Box. 8-9So, just as Joshua had ordered, an advance guard started out ahead of the priests who were blowing trumpets; behind these came the priests who were carrying the Covenant Box, followed by a rear guard. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10But Joshua had ordered the people not to shout, not to say a word until he gave the order.

11So he had this group of men take the Lord's Covenant Box around the city one time. Then they came back to camp and spent the night there. 12-13Joshua got up early the next morning, and for the second time the priests and soldiers marched around the city in the same order as the day before: first, the advance guard; next, the seven priests blowing the seven trumpets; then, the priests carrying the Lord's Covenant Box; and finally, the rear guard. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 14On this second day they again marched around the city one time and then returned to camp. They did this for six days. 15On the seventh day they got up at daybreak and marched seven times around the city in the same way—this was the only day that they marched around it seven times. 16The seventh time around, when the priests were about to sound the trumpets, Joshua ordered the people to shout, and he said, “The Lord has given you the city! 17The city and everything in it must be totally destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only the prostitute Rahab and her household will be spared, because she hid our spies.

18But you are not to take anything that is to be destroyed; if you do, you will bring trouble and destruction on the Israelite camp. 19Everything made of silver, gold, bronze, or iron is set apart for the Lord. It is to be put in the Lord's treasury.” 20 # He 11.30 So the priests blew the trumpets. As soon as the people heard it, they gave a loud shout, and the walls collapsed. Then all the army went straight up the hill into the city and captured it. 21With their swords they killed everyone in the city, men and women, young and old. They also killed the cattle, sheep, and donkeys. 22Joshua then told the two men who had served as spies, “Go into the prostitute's house, and bring her and her family out, as you promised her.” 23So they went and brought Rahab out, along with her father and mother, her brothers, and the rest of her family. They took them all, family and slaves, to safety near the Israelite camp.

24Then they set fire to the city and burned it to the ground, along with everything in it, except the things made of gold, silver, bronze, and iron, which they took and put in the Lord's treasury. 25#He 11.31 But Joshua spared the lives of the prostitute Rahab and all her relatives, because she had hidden the two spies that he had sent to Jericho. (Her descendants have lived in Israel to this day.) 26 # 1 K 16.34 At this time Joshua issued a solemn warning: “Anyone who tries to rebuild the city of Jericho will be under the Lord's curse.Whoever lays the foundation will lose his oldest son;Whoever builds the gates will lose his youngest.” 27So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread through the whole country.

Question: In which book of the bible is the collapse of the walls of Jericho told?
Answer: JOSHUA