Jericho, a city steeped in history and archaeological significance, is located in the West Bank. Often cited as one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world, Jericho’s story stretches back millennia, offering a unique window into the dawn of civilization. But precisely where is this ancient city, and what makes it so historically important?
Jericho is nestled in the Jordan Valley, in the West Bank, near the Jordan River. Its strategic location and fertile land have made it a desirable place to settle for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence suggests that Jericho’s origins can be traced back to around 9000 BCE, marking it as a pivotal site in understanding the development of permanent settlements and the very first steps towards organized human societies.
Political map of the West Bank highlighting Jericho's location
Ancient Jericho: A City of Millennia
The earliest inhabitants of Jericho were Mesolithic hunters, with traces of their visits carbon-dated to approximately 9000 BCE. Their descendants transitioned into a settled community by about 8000 BCE. This remarkable transformation is evidenced by the construction of a massive stone wall encircling the settlement, further fortified by a substantial stone tower. The scale of this early town suggests a population ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 people, a significant number for that era. This period, spanning a millennium, witnessed a profound shift from a nomadic hunting lifestyle to a settled existence.
The emergence of agriculture during this time is strongly implied, supported by the discovery of cultivated grains of wheat and barley. Jericho stands as a key location providing tangible evidence of very early agricultural practices. To sustain cultivation in this region, it is highly probable that irrigation techniques were developed, highlighting the ingenuity of these early settlers. This initial Neolithic culture in Palestine was an indigenous development, showcasing local innovation and adaptation.
Around 7000 BCE, a second group arrived in Jericho, bringing with them a Neolithic culture that, while still lacking pottery production, was distinct from the indigenous one. This suggests an influx of newcomers, possibly from northern Syria, another region where Neolithic agricultural societies were developing. This second Neolithic phase concluded around 6000 BCE.
For the subsequent millennium, evidence of occupation in Jericho becomes sparse. It was only around 5000 BCE that Jericho began to reflect developments occurring in the north, where numerous villages were emerging, characterized by Neolithic cultures that had adopted pottery. However, the first pottery users in Jericho were relatively primitive compared to their predecessors, residing in simple dwellings dug into the ground, likely primarily pastoralists. Over the ensuing 2,000 years, occupation remained scattered and potentially intermittent.
Jericho Through the Ages: From Urban Center to Biblical Significance
Towards the end of the 4th millennium BCE, an urban culture re-emerged in Jericho, mirroring a broader trend across Palestine. Jericho was once again fortified as a walled town, with its defenses rebuilt multiple times throughout history.
Around 2300 BCE, urban life in Jericho faced another disruption, possibly due to the arrival of nomadic groups, believed to be Amorites. Their successors, the Canaanites, arrived around 1900 BCE, sharing a culture prevalent along the Mediterranean coast. The Canaanites reintroduced urban living to Jericho. Archaeological excavations have unearthed remnants of their houses and domestic furniture, often found in tombs as provisions for the afterlife. These discoveries offer valuable insights into the culture encountered and largely adopted by the Israelites upon their arrival in Canaan.
Jericho holds a prominent place in biblical narratives, famously recounted as the first city attacked by the Israelites under Joshua after their crossing of the Jordan River (Joshua 6). According to the biblical account, following its destruction by the Israelites, Jericho remained abandoned until Hiel the Bethelite re-established it in the 9th century BCE (1 Kings 16:34). Jericho is mentioned several times throughout the Bible, further solidifying its historical and religious significance. Herod the Great, during Roman times, chose Jericho as his winter residence and ultimately passed away there in 4 BCE. Excavations in the 1950s revealed aspects of Herodian Jericho, including a magnificent façade along the Wadi Al-Qilṭ, likely part of Herod’s palace, reflecting his affinity for Roman architectural styles. Traces of other impressive structures in this area indicate that it became the center of Roman and New Testament Jericho, situated approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the Old Testament town. During the Crusader period, Jericho shifted to a third location, a mile east of the Old Testament site, where the modern town eventually developed.
Archaeological Significance and Modern Jericho
Old Testament Jericho has been identified at Tall Al-Sulṭān (Tell es-Sultan), rising 70 feet (21 meters) above the surrounding plain, near the copious spring of ʿAyn Al-Sulṭān. This site was recognized for its profound historical importance and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2023. Numerous major archaeological expeditions have explored Tell es-Sultan, notably the extensive work conducted from 1952–58 under Kathleen M. Kenyon, aiming to determine the date of the town’s destruction by the Israelites, a critical point for establishing the chronology of the Israelite entry into Canaan. While erosion has claimed much of the town from that period, including the complete circuit of town walls, surviving evidence confirms the existence of a town from that era. Its destruction may have occurred in the latter half of the 14th century BCE, although definitive evidence remains elusive. The site was then deserted until the Iron Age. While limited traces of the 9th-century BCE occupation attributed to Hiel have been found, a substantial settlement existed in the 7th century BCE, possibly ending around the time of the second Babylonian Exile in 586 BCE. Subsequently, the site was permanently abandoned, with later iterations of Jericho developing elsewhere.
A significant archaeological remnant from the Umayyad period is Khirbat al-Mafjar, an impressive 8th-century complex located in the Wadi Al-Nuwayʿima, approximately 3 miles (5 km) north of Jericho. This complex originally comprised a palace, mosque, and bathhouse. Although damaged by an earthquake shortly after its construction began and never fully completed, the well-preserved remains include exquisite mosaic panels and pavements for which Khirbat al-Mafjar is renowned. While the identity of its patron remains debated, it is linked to both Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Malik (reigned 724–743) and his nephew al-Walīd ibn Yazīd (reigned 743–744).
In more recent times, Jericho, once a minor Ottoman village, transformed into a winter resort following the British mandate over Palestine in the early 1920s. The city experienced substantial growth after its incorporation into Jordan in 1949. The establishment of two large Palestinian refugee camps nearby after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War spurred significant development, leading to extensive rebuilding and expansion of the oasis area through irrigation. However, the Israeli occupation after the Six-Day War in June 1967 resulted in the displacement of a considerable portion of the refugee population. Jericho was among the first cities and towns transferred to the administration of the nascent Palestinian Authority following the 1993 Oslo Accords. As of 2017, Jericho’s population was recorded at 20,907.
In conclusion, Jericho’s location in the West Bank places it at the heart of a region rich in history and cultural significance. Its unparalleled history as one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities makes Jericho a crucial site for understanding human civilization’s early development and its enduring legacy through biblical times to the present day.
