Lives of Scripture
Jericho
Also called: City of Palms
Modern location: Tell es-Sultan, West Bank
First named: Numbers 22:1
One of the world's oldest cities, Jericho was the first Canaanite city Israel conquered after crossing the Jordan — its walls falling after Israel marched around it seven days as God had instructed, following the spies' earlier reception by Rahab (Joshua 2; 6). Centuries later Elijah and Elisha passed through it near the Jordan (2 Kings 2:4-8), and it was near Jericho that Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus and called the tax collector Zacchaeus down from his tree (Mark 10:46-52; Luke 19:1-10).
References: Numbers 22:1; Joshua 2; Joshua 6; 2 Kings 2:4-8; Luke 19:1-10
People connected to Jericho
- Abiram (M) — Hiel's firstborn, who died when his father refounded this city
1 Kings 16:34
- Achan (M) — took plunder devoted to destruction from this city, bringing defeat on Israel
Joshua 7:1
- Amasa (M) — an Ephraimite leader who saw Judah's captives clothed and returned to this city
2 Chronicles 28:15
- Bartimaeus (M) — the blind beggar of this city, healed as Jesus was leaving it
Mark 10:46-52
- Eglon (M) — the Moabite king who seized “the city of palms” and its region
Judges 3:13
- Hiel (M) — rebuilt this city under Ahab, losing two sons as Joshua had cursed
1 Kings 16:34
- Rahab (F) — the prostitute of this city who hid the spies and was spared when it fell
Joshua 2:1; Joshua 6:22-25
- Segub (M) — Hiel's youngest son, who died when his father set up this city's gates
1 Kings 16:34
- Zaccheus (M) — the chief tax collector of this city who climbed a tree to see Jesus
Luke 19:1-8