Jericho is the lowest city in the world, at 258m/846ft below sea level (the lowest place on Earth is the Dead Sea, the surface of which is over 400m/1300ft below sea level). Jericho also is the oldest and continuously inhabited city in the world.
Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of more than 20 successive settlements in Jericho, the first of which dates back 11,000 years (9,000BC). The town, which was about 6 acres (2.5 hectares) in size, preceded the wall by about 500 years. It is situated on the Ein As-Sultan spring (later called Elisha's Spring) supplying it with water. By about 9,400 BC the settlement grew to include more than 70 homes. These round mud-brick houses measured 5m/16ft in diameter, yet no street planning.
Archaeological evidence reveals that by 8,000 BC, the site grew to 40,000 square meters / 430,000 square feet and was surrounded by a stone wall 3.6m/11,8ft high and 1,8m/5.9ft wide at the base. Inside the wall was a stone tower 8.5m/28ft high and 9m/30ft wide at the base. The tower had an internal staircase with 22 steps.
After a few centuries, the first settlement was abandoned. Around 7,000BC, a second settlement was established by an invading people that absorbed the original inhabitants into their culture. Buildings were rectilinear structures made also of mud-bricks. Each building consisted on several rooms situated around a central courtyard. The greatest distinction of this culture was that they kept the heads of deceased relatives by plastering the skulls and painting the features of the person on it. These skulls were kept in the home and the rest of the body was buried. This settlement lasted until about 6,000BC. There is then little evidence of occupation at Jericho for at least 1,000 years.
At the end of the 4th millennium BC evidence shows that the walls have been rebuilt many times. The largest of these settlements was constructed in 2,600 BC by the Amorites. It was taken over by the Canaanites in 1,900 BC and reached it greatest prominence between 1700 BC and 1,550BC. The rise of the aristocracy caused a greater urbanization in the surrounding area, including Jericho. By this time, there were two walls around the city in a double enclosure made of mud-brick. The outside wall rested on top of a stone base. Though they were impressive in size, they were not stable. It fell in the 16th century around 1573 BC by an earthquake. Then it remained unoccupied until the late 10th century when it was rebuilt.
According to the Scriptural story, at around 1,400 BC, Jericho was the first city attacked by the Israelites after they crossed the Jordan River and entered Canaan. Joshua 6: "Now Jericho was shut up from within and from without because of the people of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, 'See, I have given into your hand Jericho, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for 6 days. And 7 priests shall bear 7 trumpets of rams' horns before the Ark; and on the 7th day you shall march around the city 7 times, the priests blowing the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him.' "
When the city was destroyed, a curse was pronounced upon its rebuilding, to the effect that the man who should do so would lay Foundation in his oldest son and set up the Gates in his youngest son (Joshua 6). 1 Kings 16 reveals that Joshua's curse did come true during the time of King Ahab: "Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abi'Ram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to then Word of the Lord, which He spoke by Joshua son of Nun."
Modern-day Jericho is an important historical, cultural, and political center located North West of the Dead Sea. Located in the disputed West Bank region of Israel, it has been ceded to Palestinian control as part of recent treaty agreements.
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