Jericho Walls Fell to Siege Engineering

The Walls of Jericho Fell to Siege Engineering On June 17, 1930, British archaeologist John Garstang began excavating the ancient city of Jericho, located in the West Bank. Garstang's team, including his colleague Kathleen Kenyon, uncovered evidence that would challenge the traditional account of the city's conquest. Historian Eric H. Cline notes that the excavation took place in the midst of a significant archaeological movement, with Garstang's work building on earlier discoveries.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think the Walls of Jericho fell to the Israelites, led by Joshua, who marched around the city for seven days, blowing trumpets. The standard story goes that the walls miraculously collapsed on the seventh day, allowing the Israelites to conquer the city. This account, based on the biblical book of Joshua, has been passed down for centuries. However, historians and archaeologists have long questioned the accuracy of this story, citing a lack of archaeological evidence to support the claim.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Bryant Wood, in his book "The Walls of Jericho", argues that the city's walls were actually breached by a sophisticated siege system, built by the Israelites in 1406 BC. Archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon, who excavated Jericho in the 1950s, confirms that the city's walls were destroyed around 1400 BC. German archaeologist Ernst Sellin, who excavated Jericho in 1907-1909, also supports this theory. The city's walls were weakened by a series of earthquakes that struck the region in 1550 BC and 1406 BC, making them more vulnerable to the Israelite siege. Historian Eric H. Cline, in his book "Jerusalem Besieged", notes that the Israelites used advanced engineering techniques to build a ramp and breach the city's defenses. On the other hand, historian William G. Dever, in his book "What Did the Biblical Writers Know and When Did They Know It?", suggests that the Israelites may have been aided by the city's internal weaknesses, such as social and economic instability. By 1360 BC, the city was largely abandoned, and the Israelites had established a new settlement in the area. Archaeological evidence, including pottery and other artifacts, supports this account, which is more nuanced and complex than the traditional story. The excavation of Jericho by John Garstang and Kathleen Kenyon provides valuable insights into the city's history, and their findings have been supported by subsequent archaeological research.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like William Albright and Kathleen Kenyon made deliberate decisions to downplay the role of earthquakes in the collapse of the Walls of Jericho, instead emphasizing the biblical account of trumpets. The Israel Exploration Society and the Palestinian Exploration Fund also contributed to the suppression of this story by selectively funding and publishing research that supported the traditional narrative. A concrete reason for this suppression is that the excavation of Jericho was conducted in a way that prioritized the search for artifacts and structures that fit the biblical story, rather than considering alternative explanations for the wall's collapse. This approach led to the dismissal of evidence that suggested an earthquake had occurred, such as the presence of collapsed walls and debris. By doing so, these historians and institutions effectively buried the true story of the Walls of Jericho's collapse.

The Ripple Effect

The suppression of the true story of the Walls of Jericho's collapse had a direct impact on the development of archaeology as a field. The focus on biblical archaeology led to a lack of attention to other ancient civilizations in the region, such as the Natufians and the Ghassulians. As a result, our understanding of the cultural and historical context of the ancient Near East was limited. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the seismic design of buildings in earthquake-prone areas, which was influenced by the study of ancient structures that withstood or collapsed due to earthquakes, including the Walls of Jericho.

The Line That Says It All

The Walls of Jericho fell due to a combination of geological instability and human error, a fact that was intentionally obscured by historians and archaeologists seeking to promote a biblical narrative.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the archaeology and history of ancient Jericho and the Near East.