The Battle of Jericho

1. The Destruction of Jericho (6:1-25)

The LORD ordered Israel to march around the walls of Jericho for 7 days with the Ark of the Covenant at the head of the procession, accompanied by 7 priests carrying 7 rams' horns [shofars] (v. 4). For 6 days, they were silently to circle the city once (v. 3), but on the 7^th day, they were to circle the city 7 times (v. 4)., Then, the priests were to blow the rams' horns   (v. 4), and the people were to shout (v. 10). Rams' horns were used in both religious and military contexts.[1]

The people obeyed the LORD, and on the 7^th day after circling the city 7 times, shouting, and blowing the shofar (v. 20). After this, several things happened:

1) Jericho's walls fell down, and the city was taken (v. 20)

"The fortification techniques developed in the Middle Bronze period and continuing in use in the Late Bronze period included steep earthen slopes (some reaching fifty feet) at the foundation of the walls and a ditch around the outside dug to bedrock. These features would both hamper the approach of siege machines and prevent tunneling. The walls, made of mudbrick on stone foundations, were ten to twenty-five feet wide and perhaps thirty feet high."[2] God caused this system completely to be compromised on the 7^th day.

2) The animals and the people of Jericho were slain (v. 21)

Worth noting is that "the discovery of storage jars filled with grain may point to destruction following spring harvest,"[3] just as the text indicates. Perhaps the grain had not been plundered because of God's divine injunction against the city.[4]

3) Rahab and her household were preserved (v. 23)

"German excavations from 1907-1909 on the northern section of the site uncovered a portion of the lower city wall that did not fall as it did everywhere else. The still-standing section rose as high as 8 feet (nearly 2.5 m), with house built against it still intact. A second wall at the crest of the embankment revealed that these particular houses were situated between the upper and lower city walls, and were thus 'in the city wall.' since the lower wall also formed the back wall of the houses, an opening (window) in the wall would have provided a convenient escape route for the spies. From this northerly location it was only a short distance to the hills of the Judean wilderness, where the spies hid for three days (2:16,22)."[5] Ultimately, Rahab became part of the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:5).

4) Jericho was burned with fire (v. 24)

Archaeologist Bryant Wood noted that there is much 

        "correlation between the archaeological evidence and the     

        Biblical narrative"[6]:

▪ The city was strongly fortified (Josh. 2:5,7,15; 6:5,20)

▪ The attack occurred just after harvest time in the spring 

   (Josh. 2:6; 3:15; 5:10)

▪ The inhabitants had no opportunity to flee with their 

   foodstuffs (Josh. 6:1)

▪ The siege was short (Josh. 6:15)

▪ The walls were leveled, possibly by an earthquake (Josh. 6:20)

▪ The city was not plundered (Josh. 6:17-18)

▪ The city was burned (Josh. 6:24).

▪ These events occurred ca. 1400 B.C.

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[1] NIV Archaeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 311.

[2] Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas, The IVP Background Commentary: Old Testament, 218.

[3] Hoerth, Archaeology and the Old Testament, 210.

[4] Bryant G. Wood, "Did the Israelites Conquer Jericho?" Biblical Archaeology Review 16, no. 2 (March-April 1990), 56..

[5] NIV Archaeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 305.

[6] Wood, "Did the Israelites Conquer Jericho?" 57.