Joshua 6:1

Chapter 6. The Taking of Jericho With the Help of YHWH.

In this chapter Joshua is assured that, although Jericho is closely shut up, and there was no obvious way in which Israel could enter it, it would be delivered into his hands, and he is therefore directed, along with the army, to march round the city on each of six days, accompanied by seven priests bearing the ark of YHWH, with seven rams' horns sounding. And on the seventh day they were to go round it seven times in the same way, with the result that its wall would fall. Joshua communicated this order to the priests and the people, and they did as they were commanded, along with obeying other instructions he gave them, particularly that the city, and all in it, should be devoted to YHWH and nothing spared, except Rahab and her family and their possessions. Their mission was successful as YHWH had promised. All in the city were destroyed, and the city itself was burnt with fire, while the gold, silver, bronze, and iron were brought into the treasury of the house of YHWH. Rahab and her father's household were saved alive, and the chapter is closed with an adjuration of Joshua, cursing any man who should rebuild the city.

Joshua 6:1

‘ Now Jericho had closed the gates and were shut in because of the children of Israel. None went out and none came in.'

The news of the advance of the Israelite army across the Jordan had resulted in the people of Jericho shutting the city gates permanently. Those who lived around would have moved into the city for safety and it would be crowded. But none would now leave it until the Israelite army had passed. Their hope lay in the walls of that city, which, while it was not a very large one, was very strong. They knew that with their small numbers they were no match for the Israelites. But they had plenty of food, for the wheat harvest had been gathered in. The whole pear-shaped mound is only four hundred metres long (four hundred and thirty eight yards) and two hundred metres wide at its widest point and the city would probably not occupy the whole mound.

What could happen to someone found outside the city is illustrated in Judges 1:24. It reads innocently enough but the man was probably given the choice of betraying the city or enduring a most horrific time. He would probably have ended up betraying the city anyway.

The archaeology of Jericho has produced a confusing picture. Garstang's results were questioned by Kenyon, and Kenyon's results, based on doubtful premises, have also been seriously questioned datewise (consider for example the criticisms of Bryant Wood). The matter is at present in abeyance. So little has been excavated that nothing can be accepted as demonstrated one way or the other. But the fact that it was unoccupied for over four hundred years from this time would have meant that few remains from this time could be expected to survive, due to weathering and predators. Thus it is doubtful if the archaeological questions related to this period will ever be solved. It was an ancient city going back to 8th millennium BC, having even at that early time a stone revetment wall and at least one round tower with a built in stairway. I was there in 1957 just after their discovery and vividly remember the great excitement at what was then a totally unexpected find. There are also remains of huts by the spring which go back even further.