Hebrew: Yericho / Arabic: ‘Ariha
Coordinates: 31°51′N, 35°27′E / Elevation: -258 metres (-846 ft)
Jericho is often described as the oldest continuously occupied city in the world, where archaeologic evidence of more than 20 layers of civilization can be found dating to the 10th century BC, using secular dating. The name, Jericho, is thought to come from the Canaanite rea(c)h, which means “fragrant,” which is also the meaning of the Hebrew word yeri(c)ho. It is referred in the Bible as Ir ha-Tamarim, or “the city of palms” (Deuteronomy 34:3).
Jericho is perhaps most famous as the city whose walls fell at the blowing of the Israelites’ trumpets following their circling the city seven times (Joshua 5:13-6:27; Hebrew 11:30). The city figures prominently in other stories in the Bible – from being the place where Rahab the Harlot hid the 12 spies during the time of Moses (Joshua 2:1-24), to the fall of the walls and the conquest of the city as the Israelites entered the Promised Land (Joshua 6:1-27), to being the town of Zaccheas, the tax collector “of small stature” with whom Jesus dined (Luke 19:1f), to the healing of the two blind men who stood by the road and called, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” and Jesus healed them (Matthew 20:29f; Mark 10:46f; Luke 18:35f).
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