Jericho interesting facts. Jericho: the oldest city on earth
A city of ups and downs, fame and shame, death and rebirth. An oasis in the middle of the desert. Most ancient city on planet Earth is in Israel - Jericho.
For 10 thousand years, people have been living in a place close to the confluence with the Dead Sea, at the foot of the Judean Mountains. We know about their existence in these places since the Bronze Age. But who knows, maybe the river of history stretches even further and deeper.
The first archaeological site of Jericho dates back to the 8th century AD. That is how many years scientists have counted the ancient fortress, which they dug out on the Jericho hill. And the oldest written mention refers to the period.
This biblical parable, which is inextricably linked with the history of religions, and with the history of the people of Israel, and with the history of Jericho itself, had a great influence on descendants and followers. This influence was so strong that archaeologists, who began excavations at the site of the ancient city, even tried to fit the artifacts they found to a well-known parable from the Bible.
As you probably remember, after the death of Moses, God appeared to Joshua in the wilderness and called him to lead the people of Israel through the Jordan. And he promised that there, beyond the Jordan, wherever the Israelites set foot, the land would belong to them. And Jesus obeyed God and led the army of Israel behind him.
When they approached the Jordan, very close to the confluence of the river, it suddenly dried up, and the Jews actually crossed the river on land, along its bottom. And when the last Jew set foot on the shores of the Promised Land, supposedly the water gradually began to rise again.
Approaching the walls of Jericho, the Jews besiege it, and Jesus decides to send two of his spies to the fortified city.
They entered the settlement and went into the house of the local harlot Raava. Having guessed the purpose of the envoys' visit to Jericho, Raava asked to save her and her family's lives for help in hiding. And the Jews kept their word. They killed the rest of the inhabitants of Jericho, and destroyed the city and burned it. Moreover, Jesus allegedly imposed a curse that forbade the rebuilding of the city. And when, many years later, a certain Ahiel began to rebuild the city, he lost all his sons. But the city has revived.
It is curious that the destruction of Jericho also has its own legend. When the scouts returned to the camp, Jesus decided it was time to attack the city. And he sent his army seven times around the fortified city walls. And the besieged inhabitants had the impression that the army of Israel was endless. So when the seven trumpets sounded, people began to scream in panic and horror. And from this strongest sound, the walls of Jericho collapsed - the outer one outward, and the inner one - in the opposite direction. And so the expression "Jericho trumpets" was born.
By the way, archaeologists managed to unearth the remains of these collapsed walls and even prove that at least one of them, the outer one, really fell. But the rest of the evidence of the capture of Jericho by the Israelis has not been preserved.
Interestingly, the excavations of Ancient Jericho themselves began in the 19th century. Three times scientists from different countries tried to find the remains of the ancient city under the layer of epochs. And everything was in vain, until in 1899 an archaeologist from Germany, Sellin, near the small village of Erich (and the name Jericho came either from the word "yareah" - the moon, or from the word "reah" - fragrance, and in Arabic pronunciation Jericho is Erich) did not find several clay products of the Canaanite period. And in 1907, large-scale excavations began on the site of the Jericho hill.
Layer upon layer, archaeologists have been peeling back layers of history spanning a period of ten thousand years!
They found eight of these layers. And now science has an idea of how it was built and how it was destroyed great city.
In the most ancient, Canaanite, period, Jericho was a fairly rich and prosperous city. It was surrounded by two completely looped city walls, external and internal. There were many houses, and people traded with Dead Sea salt.
No burials from this period have been found.
The city was destroyed, presumably by the Israelis, and did not develop for a long time. Although people remained on the territory of Jericho.
Israeli Jericho refers to the XI - IX centuries BC. At this time, the city began to actively develop. During this period, the Khilani Palace was built here. In addition to salt, ceramics and other utensils began to be produced in the city. Archaeologists have found burials of this period. People were then buried in the courtyards of houses, and children - right in the underground of the house.
During the Roman Empire, Mark Antony, who was in love with unconsciousness, gave Jericho to Cleopatra. But he was returned back to Herod by Augustus.
During the reign of Herod, a whole complex of palaces, a theater and even a hippodrome were built in Jericho. It was a rather unusual type of building for that period. Herod invited a special construction team from Rome, which was engaged in the construction of a number of objects not only in Jericho, but also in several other cities of the empire. hallmark buildings of the reign of Herod was the use of very small diamond-shaped stone.
But during the Jewish War, the city was again destroyed, and another Roman ruler, Hadrian, rebuilt it already in the 2nd century AD.
From the 7th century, Jericho was conquered by the Arabs.
Since the 13th century, Muslims lived on the site of ancient Jericho - a small village existed until the 19th century.
Of course, the main attraction and the main shrine of Jericho is the ancient burial mound or, in other words, Jericho Hill. It was around him that all archaeological research has been concentrated for the last 150 years.
In 1929, the British John Gersteng unearthed the lowest layers on it, which testified to the first human settlements on the site of present-day Jericho. They lived in round dugouts. Ceramics were not yet known, but they were already settled.
However, it was not yet a city. Talk about Jericho as the most ancient settlement on the planet was forced by another find.
In 1953, archaeologist Kathleen Kigno dug up an ancient fortress on a hill - the oldest surviving architectural form on earth. According to scientists, the age of the fortress is 8 thousand years. It encloses an area of approximately 3 hectares (40 acres). It is believed that about 3 thousand people lived on it.
The ancient city was surrounded by an earth embankment, which was much more area the settlement itself. Perhaps people settled not only inside the fortification, but also outside it. At the time of Joshua, this mound was gone.
An interesting detail: it seems that Ancient Jericho became the ancestor of the tradition of burying decapitated people. Headless burials were found at the excavation site, while the skulls were found elsewhere, separately. Later this tradition spread to many other countries of the East.
Another very valuable find is the excavations of an ancient synagogue from the same period. The oldest synagogue on the planet, 8,000 years old, was discovered quite by accident, during the reconstruction of one of the old buildings. A mosaic depicting a menorah was laid out on the floor of the synagogue. Now this building is owned by Israel.
Archaeologists also discovered the ruins of an Arab palace, today better known as the Hisham Palace. It was founded around 747-749. El-Walid, and received the name "Hisham" by mistake. There was a ruler in Jericho with that name, who also wanted to build a lot of things in these places, but did not have time. But for some reason, the name of this dreamer was firmly stuck to the achievements of another person, El-Walid.
The palace itself is very interesting. The entrance to it was decorated with an arch of sculptures. Which is very unusual for Islamic architecture, which prohibits any depiction of a person. In addition, the palace had a large courtyard with couches, as well as a descent to the basement halls - a place to relax, because it was always cool there. The palace was not completed by El-Walid due to injury. But, nevertheless, it is well preserved. By the way, sculptures from this palace are now kept in the Rockefeller Gallery.
Today it is difficult to overestimate the significance of the excavations that scientists have carried out over a hundred and fifty years, digging up Ancient Jericho. And the main discovery is certainly that from now on the age of the most ancient city on the planet is calculated not by the first mention of Joshua, but by much earlier artifacts.
Unfortunately, today the excavations of Jericho are practically suspended. After Israel transferred the city to Palestine in 1993 after the Oslo agreement, it became unsafe. Currently, Israel has banned its citizens from entering Jericho for this reason.
The main source of water in the city is Ain al-Sultan (the source of Elisha) near the ruins of the ancient city of Tel al-Sultan. The ancient city rises to 21 m and covers an area of 40 thousand m². Here you can feel how ancient this land is - archaeologists have counted 23 separate cultural layers, including the remains of a Neolithic city. The walls of the city were erected as early as 7000 BC. e. and are known for having fallen at the sound of the trumpets of Joshua's army.
Hisham Palace, 8th century 3 km from the city center - a wonderful example of Islamic architecture with superbly preserved mosaics. The palace was built as the winter residence of Caliph Hisham. Judging by the abundance of various reservoirs in the palace, one can conclude what the rulers preferred - although, they say, the pools were often filled with wine.
To the north of the source of Ain as-Sultan is a street planted with cypresses; she reaches for the Byzantine synagogue. The marvelous mosaic floor is decorated with a central medallion with the inscription "Shalom al-Israel" ("Peace to Israel"). And in the desert outside the city stands the Nabi Musa Mosque, an Islamic shrine dedicated to Moses.
Jericho is a popular city among tourists, despite the political tension in the region. The center of Jericho is spacious and has a friendly atmosphere.
When to come
Do not miss
- Tulul Abu el-Alayk - the winter palace of King Herod, 2.5 km west of Jericho.
- Greek Orthodox monastery St. George - carved into the rocks in a desert canyon, surrounded by a magnificent garden.
- Greek Monastery of the Temptation and views from the top of Jebel Kurun-tul, where Jesus fasted and saw the devil.
- Mosaics of the Naaran Synagogue IV c.
- The Essenes monastery, 20 km south of Jericho, is the place where the Qumran manuscripts were found.
Should know
The West Bank of the Jordan River, 8 km east of Jericho, is a closed military zone. Don't be surprised that the intifada made Jericho a half-forgotten place.
Jericho is one of the oldest cities on Earth, with an age of more than 10 thousand years, and an almost continuous history of its development. Conquered and passed from hand to hand by the rulers of different historical times and eras, the city has always been of strategic importance to its owners. The ancient Jews used to say: "He who conquers Jericho will conquer Eretz Israel." This is one of the lowest cities, located at around 250 meters below sea level (only below), which affects the weather in Jericho in particular and the economic conditions in general. The richness of the history of Jericho can be compared with the most historically significant cities in Israel: . Repeatedly mentioned in the Old Testament (Tanakh) as well as in the New Testament, Jericho becomes attractive to a large number of pilgrims of both religions, which even cannot boast of, and modern Jericho, which is in the department of the Palestinian National Authority, despite the difficult political situation, is visited by more people than popular.
At the same time, you should take into account some features of this city, and make excursions accompanied by a professional guide, after calling the Ministry of Tourism for recommendations (+972-2-6664331 or +972-2-6510358). Since since 1993, according to the Norwegian Agreement, Jericho has belonged to the Palestinian Authority, then at times of some aggravation of political situations between Israel and the PA, it is preferable either not to enter the territory of the city, or to be accompanied by people who understand the situation, ideally having the opportunity to provide protection. For example, in times of exacerbation, excursions to Bethlehem are accompanied by Israeli security services.
Since the Al-Aqsa Intifada, when the ancient synagogue was subject to desecration and destruction, and the roads leading to Jericho were continuously fired upon, Israel blockaded Jericho, the Tsakhal army units carried out operations to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the city, while forbidding their citizens from entering the territory of Jericho, as well as other cities of the Palestinian Authority, for their security. The calm in the region that followed these actions made it possible to reach some agreements between the warring parties. The authorities undertook to ensure peace in the Jericho enclave, the synagogue was repaired, and in the local prison, in agreement with Israel, there are terrorists responsible for the murder of R. Zeevi. Despite outward calm, the city is still under close scrutiny by Israeli forces, surrounded by army checkpoints, a former casino, and war-damaged, empty, tourists and Israelis prefer to appear accompanied by specially trained guides (often of Arab origin) , and although it is officially believed that since the transfer of the city to the Palestinian Authority, no archaeological excavations have been conducted here, some enthusiastic archaeologists still continue to find many ancient artifacts here.
The current local residents, predominantly Muslims, earn a living, mainly agriculture, growing tropical and subtropical crops characteristic of these places, as well as serving tourists who come here. It should be noted that the Jericho Arabs have never been distinguished by extremism, and although the city was repeatedly shelled, terrorist attacks committed by someone from local residents did not have.
Military action is not new for the city, its entire rich history tells of various events, one way or another connected with the war and seizures, with the subsequent transfer to the new ruling monarch, as evidenced. Many archaeologists considered the nearby hill to be the most reliable place for excavations, and, starting to dig, did not achieve success, and only in 1899, the historian-archaeologist Zelin, studying this area and finding fragments of dishes from the Canaanite period, made sure that his predecessors were right, and received the honor of discoverer. The hill of Jericho, on the map having an elliptical shape, stretching from the south-southwest to the north-northeast and occupying 235,000 square kilometers, became the site of the most serious excavations and gave the world a colossal historical heritage - the ancient city of Jericho with its walls and houses. Tourists who come here try to capture every stone of ancient Jericho on a photo or video, and it should be noted that this is a truly bewitching sight.
The most significant in the fate of the city is described in the Bible (Old Testament) and in the Tanakh, when "the walls fell outward" during the seven-day round of the city by the Jewish wars with the priests and after the servants of the God of Israel blew seven times in the Shofar (the trumpet used by the Jewish clergy to announce the beginning or end of significant events). Different sources interpret this phenomenon in different ways, according to one version, the walls fell from the loud Shofars and military exclamations of the Jewish wars, according to another version, the walls fell as a result of an attack, which went to the Israeli wars on the seventh shofar.
There are several versions of the origin of the name of the city: according to one of them, Jericho - from "Yareah - the moon", that is, the lunar city, according to the other - "reah - the smell" - the city of smells, quite reasonably, since in ancient times in the oasis on which it stands the city grew spicy and fragrant plants (the only place in the country where, due to the unique features of the climate, such crops can grow), there is often a mention of Jericho as a “city of palm trees”, which is associated with the cultivation of a large number of date trees here, but is not displayed directly in the most original name of Jericho.
When approaching the city, attention is drawn to the contrast between the desert area, burned by the sun and the lush, lush greenery of the city, fragrant due to the many underground springs and streams flowing in this place into the surrounding hills and mountains. City with greatest story, with ups and downs, continues to live his life, waiting for the new Joshua to return his former prosperity.
Jericho is a city on the territory of modern Palestine, which is currently the oldest known continuously inhabited city in the world. Its history can be traced not only in the objects found during archaeological excavations, but also in the pages Old Testament. Jericho is referred to as the "city of palm trees": they grew here great amount, and legends speak of Jericho as a place "where no houses could be seen under the green palm cover."
True, it is precisely the fact that Jericho is mentioned in the Old Testament text that predetermined the history of its study. For a long time no one was interested real geography places described in the oldest part of the Christian Bible - the fact of their existence was taken on faith, but they were not considered sacred. Biblical sites attracted the attention of archaeologists only in the middle of the 19th century.
According to the results of archaeological excavations in the 1930s and 1950s. experts found that Jericho was founded in the ninth millennium BC. e. Initially, it was a trading post at the intersection of ancient caravan routes.
The location of Jericho was extremely advantageous from all points of view. It was built away from mediterranean sea where the pirates ruled
but at the same time on the navigable Jordan River and next to the Dead Sea, through which trade routes also passed.
The heyday of Jericho fell on the second millennium BC. e.: at that time the city was surrounded by a powerful double fortress wall, crafts flourished in it, the traditions of which, in particular, were brought by settlers - carriers of the culture of making molded ceramic products.
By the end of the second millennium, Jericho, whose main population was the Canaanites, was destroyed by the Jewish tribes. This episode in the history of the city is described in the Bible in the story of the capture of Jericho by the Jewish people, liberated from Egyptian captivity, led by Joshua. The walls of the city would have withstood any siege, but the Jews owned a special weapon: they blew the trumpets with all their might for seven days, and, as the Bible says, "... the walls of Jericho fell by faith ...".
In the ninth century BC e. Jericho was rebuilt, presumably by the carriers of the Hyksos culture. True, the city in 587 BC. e. had to suffer defeat from the Babylonians. The fortified and expanded city again suffered greatly during the First Jewish War (66-70 AD).
Already in the 1st century n. e. under the Roman Empire, Jericho was rebuilt, southwest of the Old City. The Romans used a regular Hellenistic-Roman plan for construction, with straight streets and squares, and Old city with its ruins turned into a necropolis. Later, the Byzantines again moved Jericho, this time to the place where it is currently located.
In 1099, Jericho was captured by the Crusaders. In 1187, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, Salah ad-Din (or Saladin), captured the city, after which the period of desolation of Jericho began, which lasted until the 19th century, when a new settlement appeared on the site of the ruins. In the future, the population of the city was often replenished by refugees who left their homes due to wars.
Since 1993, Jericho has been allocated to the Palestinian Authority in accordance with the terms of the Norwegian agreements on the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In 1993, the Palestinian National Authority was created, and the city of Jericho became part of it, but not everyone can get into it.
Currently, specialists are still studying the history of ancient Jericho, and they still have a lot of work to do. According to archaeologists, within the city, in addition to the remains of a settlement with foundations of round mud-brick and rectangular residential buildings with a central courtyard a layer of 17 cultural layers with a total thickness of about 15 meters has been preserved. Unfortunately, later cultural layers dating back to 2000-500. BC e., were lost as a result of erosion processes.
Nevertheless, specialists managed to learn a lot about the culture of the ancient inhabitants of Jericho. In particular, scientists were lucky to discover a layer dating back to the heyday of Jericho, as well as to the time of the attack on the city of Joshua.
Among the most unusual finds of archaeologists are ancient burials. It turned out that the Natufians - representatives of the culture of the Mesolithic era (12500-9500 BC), who once inhabited Jericho - buried their deceased relatives without heads, replacing them with clay masks with shells inserted into the eye sockets, the skulls were separated and buried separately, also decorated clay and shells. It is assumed that this ritual was associated with the cult of the Moon, which, according to one version, is indicated by the name of the city itself: the word "yareah" means "moon".
Unfortunately, nature in the vicinity of the city has become very impoverished: instead of palm groves and Jericho roses, balsam trees, now mainly thorny bushes and artificially planted olive trees grow here.
Jericho plays a special role in the Christian world. Several monuments of biblical times have been preserved here. In the ancient city, the waters of the spring of the prophet Elisha are still gushing, which the saint made drinkable. The forty-day mountain, or Mount of Temptation, towering over Jericho, recalls the forty days of the temptation of the fasting Jesus Christ by the devil, which tells about Holy Bible. Today, especially for the convenience of pilgrims, a funicular line has been brought to the top of the mountain.
The tree of Zacchaeus grows in the center of Jericho. According to the New Testament, the publican Zacchaeus climbed on it to see Jesus Christ. A plot of land over which the branches of an ancient sycamore are spread, at the end of the 19th century. was donated to the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, and is now officially owned by the Russian government.
The ruins of ancient Jericho lie to the west of the center of modern Jericho - a city whose official and final status has not yet been determined by internationally recognized laws. Its population is about three thousand people, most of them live off international programs humanitarian aid. An additional source of income is the service of tourists and Christian pilgrims who visit biblical sites, despite the risk associated with this due to the tension in the region.
general information
Location: Palestine (West Bank of the Jordan River), at the northern end of the Dead Sea.official status: capital of the province of Jericho, Palestinian National Authority (status not yet finalized).
Language: Arabic.
Ethnic composition: Palestinian Arabs.
Religion: Islam.
Monetary units: Israeli Shekel, US Dollar, Euro, Jordanian Dinar, Egyptian Pound.
Major river: Jordan.
Large lake: .
Numbers
The area of the ruins of Jericho: 0.25 km2.Population in the area of the ruins: OK. 3000 people
The area of modern Jericho: 58.7 km2.
Population: 20,416 (2006).
Population density: 347.8 people / km 2.
Average altitude above sea level: -258 m.
Distance: 7 km west of the Jordan River, 12 km northwest of the Dead Sea, 30 km northeast of Jerusalem.
Climate and weather
Subtropical.January average temperature: +15°С.
July average temperature: +31°С.
Average annual rainfall: 160 mm.
Relative humidity: 60%.
Economy
Agriculture: plant growing, animal husbandry.Service sector: tourism (serving pilgrims), transport, trade.
Attractions
■ Historical: fortress tower (8400-7300 BC), burials of the Natufian culture period, Bronze Age city walls, ruins of winter palaces of the Hasmonean dynasty and Herod the Great with baths and pools, ruins of a Byzantine city and the palace of the Umayyad caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (VIII-IX centuries).
■ Religious: the Israel synagogue (I century BC), the Byzantine period synagogue, the source of the prophet Elisha, the Forty-Day Mountain (it is also the Mount of Temptation and Mount Karantal), the Orthodox Monastery of Temptation (IV century).
Curious facts
■ Jericho was the first of the Canaanite cities conquered by the Israelites, as it was a strategic point at the entrance to Palestine.
■ Jericho rose is an annual herbaceous plant of the cabbage family, better known as tumbleweed: at the very beginning of the dry season, the plant dries up, the upper part is separated from the soil and moved by the wind, which contributes to the spread of seeds. The seeds themselves remain viable for many years and are able to germinate in the ground almost before our eyes, within a few hours.
■ In total, ancient Jericho is mentioned more than seventy times in the Bible.
■ At present, the only inhabitant of the Monastery of the Temptation, whose cells are carved right into the rock, is a Greek monk.
■ In 2011, a Russian museum and park complex was opened in Jericho as a sign of the development of “spiritual and cultural ties between Russia and the PNA”.
What is this city known for? The phrase "trumpets of Jericho" entered the Russian language. It means a loud cry foreshadowing disaster. We also know that Jericho is the oldest city in Palestine, and probably on the entire planet. Archaeologists have discovered that people have lived in this place continuously for ten thousand years! Jericho is also interesting in terms of geographical location: it is 250 m below sea level. It is the deepest city on Earth. And, of course, as soon as we open the Bible, we soon come across a mention of Jericho.
It is mentioned in the books: Deuteronomy, Judges, 2 Chronicles, Joshua. But in the Gospel, the biblical city in Palestine is also not ignored. Approaching him, our Lord healed the blind from birth. Entering the city walls on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus Christ met Zacchaeus, who was small in stature, and therefore climbed onto a fig tree in order to see the Messiah because of the surrounding people. By the way, this tree is still alive, and it is shown to those who wish.
"These are all legends," the person who does not believe in the Bible will say. What do the facts, that is, material evidence, say about the "City of Palms" (according to one version, the name of the city of Yoriho came from here)? Indeed, at the end of the 19th century, when the first archaeological expedition of the British arrived in the biblical city, it was a quiet provincial village. English scientists in 1868 dug up quite a bit. After 40 years, another expedition arrived in the village, this time consisting of Germans. led by archaeologist E. Sellin, immediately began to dig deep. As a result, in 1908, scientists discovered the ancient city wall.
To date, through the efforts of archaeologists, the biblical city in Palestine has revealed 23 layers of bygone civilizations. The first settlement west of the marketplace of modern Jericho dates back to the 8th millennium BC. e. But this is not important: the settlement was not a camp of wild nomads, but a city. This is evidenced by a powerful eight-meter tower dating from the pre-ceramic Neolithic era. The settlement (7300 BC) struck scientists with the scale of the city's fortifications. It is almost hard to believe that such powerful walls could be erected by people who do not know iron.
There are many artifacts of later eras in Jericho: the necropolis of the Chalcolithic period, the ruins of the winter residence of King Herod, the palace of the period of Arab culture of the 7th century. But what allows us to say that Jericho is precisely the biblical city in Palestine? Firstly, this is a source near the hill Tel-as-Sultan, called the key of Elisha. In the Fourth Book of Kings (2:19-22) we read that the city was good for everyone, only the water in it was not good. salt was thrown into it, which made the spring drinkable. And not far from the city rises a mountain on which Jesus Christ fasted for 40 days and was tempted by the Devil.
But what does "trumpets of Jericho" mean? The book of Joshua tells that the ancient Jews decided to capture this very good place in the oasis, because Yahweh promised to support them. The army surrounded the biblical city in Palestine and began to loudly trumpet and issue war cries. As a result, powerful fortifications collapsed, and the Israelis killed all the inhabitants with the exception of one house of the collaborator and harlot Rahab. Does this mystical story any material proof? Indeed, the fortress wall of a huge city (17 hectares, which is unheard of in antiquity) collapsed in several places at once. But the cause of this was not a trumpet, but an earthquake.