The Bible Book

98

NONE WENT

OUT, AND

NONE CAME IN

JOSHUA 6:1, THE FALL OF JERICHO

J

oshua’s conquest of the

city of Jericho is the start

of God’s fulfillment of His

covenant with the Israelites—their

settlement of Canaan, the Promised

Land. Drawing on oral traditions

and written sources, the authors

of Joshua probably wrote the

account during the Babylonian

captivity of around 560 bce in order

to raise the spirits of the exiles.

The story encourages the Israelites

to believe that they can prevail,

however poor their chances, if they

put their trust in God.

Having crossed the Jordan River,

Joshua plans to take Jericho, a

seemingly impregnable structure.

Archaeological evidence reveals

that the city was built on a mound

surrounded by a massive earthen

embankment, with a 12–15 foot

(3.6–4.6m) high retaining wall

around its base. Two mudbrick

walls augmented this: one on

top of the base and the other at

the crest of the embankment. In

addition, the Bible tells us, Jericho

is well provisioned for a siege.

A spring inside the city walls

The Israelites have been transported

to a Renaissance-style cityscape in

this 17th-century engraving of a work

by Maarten van Heemskerck.

IN BRIEF

PA S SAGE

Joshua 2, 6

THEME

God in war and conquest

SETTING

14th–13th century bce

Jericho. The date is disputed

by some archaeologists.

KEY FIGURES

Joshua Moses’s successor

as leader of the Israelites and

commander of their army.

Rahab A prostitute or inn-

keeper living in Jericho,

who shelters Joshua’s spies

and helps them to elude

their pursuers.

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