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Biblical–Archaeological Study: Jericho
The archaeological site
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Location: Jordan Valley, West Bank
Identification: Tell es-Sultan
One of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world
Relevant period: Late Bronze Age (~15th–13th century BC)
Jericho is the first city conquered by the Israelites after entering Canaan.
1. The biblical account
Joshua 6:20
“The people shouted… and the wall fell down flat, so the people went up into the city.”
Joshua 6:24
“They burned the city and everything in it.”
The Bible describes:
- a fortified city
- walls collapsing suddenly
- the city burned
- the city not plundered (devoted to the Lord)
2. Main archaeological discoveries
Excavations (Sellin, Garstang, Kenyon and others) revealed:
- double defensive walls
- collapse outward (unusual in sieges)
- thick ash and burn layer
- jars full of grain (city destroyed quickly, not by famine)
This indicates a sudden destruction in a short time.
3. Remarkable detail: the outer wall
Sections of the wall fell at the base of the natural ramp —
effectively forming a “stairway” into the city.
This corresponds to the biblical phrase:
“the people went up into the city.”
4. Direct comparison: Bible vs Archaeology
| Archaeology | Bible |
|---|---|
| Fortified city | Jericho strongly fortified |
| Collapsed wall | The wall fell |
| Destruction by fire | The city burned |
| Food supplies left | Rapid conquest |
| Not immediately rebuilt | Curse upon the city |
5. The chronological debate
There are two main interpretations:
- some datings place the destruction before Joshua’s period
- other reevaluations of pottery and stratigraphy place it in the biblical era
Most archaeologists agree on one point:
a fortified city was violently destroyed in a single catastrophe.
Archaeological significance
Jericho is not merely a place mentioned in the Bible —
it is one of the most studied ancient cities in the world.
The biblical account describes a type of destruction clearly recognized archaeologically:
structural collapse + rapid burning.
Central idea of the study
Archaeology shows the city fell suddenly.
The Bible explains why it fell.
The ruins show the event.
Scripture provides the interpretation.
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