Meaning: The city of palm trees. Oldest city in the world? Home of Rahab the prostitute. First city captured by Israel. About 14 miles from Jerusalem, 3,000 feet below it. Sun stood still near here. Elisha healed water here. Christ healed a blind man. Zacchaeus lived here. The story of the Good Samaritan is set on the road to Jericho. Harod had a nearby winter palace where he died, buried at Herodium. (more photos: Wiki & Bible-Jericho, Bible-JudeanWilderness )
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BiblePhoto-Jericho This photograph shows vegetation in present-day Jericho. Anciently it was a walled city in the valley of the Jordan River, 825 feet (252 meters) below sea level. It is a rich agricultural area where date palms and citrus groves flourish. In the background is the traditional Mount of Temptation (Matt. 4:1–11).
Significant Events: Near this place, Joshua and the children of Israel first crossed the Jordan River, entering into the promised land (Josh. 2:1–3; 3:14–16). The Lord miraculously caused the walls to fall down before the Israelite forces (Josh. 6; see also Heb. 11:30). Joshua placed a curse on the city (Josh. 6:26), which was fulfilled (1 Kgs. 16:34). Elisha healed the waters of Jericho (2 Kgs. 2:18–22). The Savior passed through here on His last visit to Jerusalem, healing the blind Bartimaeus and abiding with Zacchaeus, the publican (Mark 10:46–52; Luke 18:35–43; 19:1–10). The road to Jericho from Jerusalem was featured in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30–37). (See BD Jericho.)
BiblePhoto-JudeanWilderness The Judean wilderness lies east of Jerusalem and descends to the Dead Sea.
Significant Events: The Judean wilderness was an important refuge in many periods of early history. David hid from King Saul (1 Sam. 26:1–3). Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights (Matt. 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13). Jesus used the route from Jerusalem to Jericho through the Judean wilderness as the setting for the parable of the good Samaritan because lone travelers were easy prey in that area (Luke 10:25–37). (See BD Dead Sea.)
Jerico BD A walled city in the valley of the Jordan, 800 feet below the Mediterranean, near the place where the Israelites crossed the river on their first entry into the promised land (Josh. 2:1–3; 3:16; 6). Joshua placed a curse upon it (Josh. 6:26), which was afterwards fulfilled (1 Kgs. 16:34). It was within the territory assigned to Benjamin (Josh. 18:12, 21) and was visited by our Lord on His last journey to Jerusalem (Mark 10:46; Luke 18:35; 19:1).
25 ¶ And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
1 And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.
2 And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age:
3 And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you.
4 Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
5 And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you.
6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
7 That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:
8 But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.
9 For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.
10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
11 Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God.
12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you:
13 Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.
14 And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.
15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you; so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.
16 When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them; then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you.
16 ¶ And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.
17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.
18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.
1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
10 ¶ And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
13 ¶ And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 ¶ And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
1 And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Beth-el,
7 And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan.
3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
63 ¶ These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.
1 And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan,
3 And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar.
1 Kings 16:34 In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.
4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace.
15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
8 And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?
Matt 20:29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
Mark 10:46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimæus, the son of Timæus, sat by the highway side begging.
Luke 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.