Dating back almost twelve thousand years, Jericho claims the title of the world’s oldest town. At 1200 feet (360m) below sea level, it is also the lowest.
Built around the Spring of Elisha that releases 1,000 gallons of water a minute, Jericho’s fertile oasis in the midst of the arid Judean Desert has attracted visitors since the dawn of time.
Jericho was ancient when Joshua marched the Children of Israel into the Promised Land, but there is actually no archaeological evidence for the great battle where its “walls came tumbling down”, as told of in the Bible and sung of in Spirituals.
Jericho’s Canaanite potters were among the best that ever worked in Israel. This illustrated 6th century BC vase, shows how their technical expertise was matched by their sense of humor. Drawn by Jericho’s temperate winter climate, Herod the Great built one of his most sumptuous
palaces southwest of ancient Jericho, two thousand years ago. The ingenious construction on both banks
This page is part of the book The Holy Land of Jesus
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