BeYePerfect

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#onthisday

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This is one of the most extensively excavated archaeological sites in history. And it’s the ancient city of Jericho. Known today as Tell es-Sultan, this archaeological mound stands near modern Jericho in the Jordan Valley. For more than a century, archaeologists have investigated its buried walls, buildings, fortifications, and destruction layers. And what they’ve uncovered has transformed our understanding of the ancient world. An Ancient City with Thousands of Years of History Tell es-Sultan preserves evidence of human settlement stretching back into the Neolithic period, thousands of years before the biblical account of Joshua. Among its most extraordinary discoveries is a massive stone tower dating to approximately 8000 BC. The site also preserves evidence of ancient defensive systems, domestic architecture, and successive periods of occupation. The Excavations Begin Charles Warren investigated Tell es-Sultan in 1868. Between 1907 and 1909, Ernst Sellin and Carl Watzinger conducted major excavations that helped establish the site’s archaeological sequence. Then, during the 1930s, British archaeologist John Garstang uncovered evidence of a fortified Bronze Age city destroyed by a major fire. Garstang associated the destruction with the biblical account of Joshua. Joshua 6:20 states: “So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” Kathleen Kenyon and the Chronology Debate Between 1952 and 1958, Kathleen Kenyon conducted a new series of excavations using improved stratigraphic methods. Her research confirmed a major destruction of Jericho’s Bronze Age fortifications but placed that destruction around 1550 BC, at the end of the Middle Bronze Age. This challenged Garstang’s proposed connection between the destruction and the biblical conquest. Later researchers have continued examining the pottery, stratigraphy, and chronology of the site. Jericho remains central to discussions about the archaeological setting of the book of Joshua. A World Heritage Site In September 2023, UNESCO added Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan to the World Heritage List. The designation recognizes the site’s extraordinary significance for understanding early human settlement and the development of permanent communities. But for readers of Scripture, Jericho carries another layer of importance. It is one of the most recognizable cities in the Hebrew Bible. The book of Joshua describes its walls, its inhabitants, and its capture by the Israelites. And archaeology has revealed that ancient Jericho was indeed a fortified settlement during portions of the Bronze Age. Generations of excavators have uncovered massive walls, collapsed architectural remains, destruction deposits, and evidence of life stretching back thousands of years. Some interpretations of the site’s chronology challenge traditional reconstructions of Joshua’s conquest. Others continue to examine whether particular destruction layers can be reconciled with the biblical narrative. The discoveries have made Jericho one of the most intensively studied locations in biblical archaeology. An ancient city beneath a mound. More than a century of excavation. And a remarkable archaeological record connected to one of the Bible’s most famous accounts. Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan; Kathleen Kenyon, Excavations at Jericho; John Garstang, The Story of Jericho; Lorenzo Nigro, Tell es-Sultan excavations; Joshua 6:20 KJV. #BiblicalArchaeology #JerichoArchaeology #TellEsSultan #BibleHistory

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This is Hazor, the largest Canaanite city in the biblical land of Israel. And archaeologists uncovered something extraordinary. At its height, Tel Hazor covered approximately 200 acres, making it one of the most powerful cities in ancient Canaan. Joshua 11:10 calls Hazor “the head of all those kingdoms.” And archaeology reveals just how important this city really was. Beginning in 1955, archaeologist Yigael Yadin excavated massive fortifications, temples, palaces, and an extensive lower city. But the most dramatic discovery was a destruction layer dating to the thirteenth century BC. Buildings had burned, and monumental statues were deliberately damaged. Joshua 11:11 records that Hazor was burned with fire. And centuries later, 1 Kings 9:15 names Hazor among the cities fortified under Solomon. Archaeologists also discovered an impressive six-chambered gate, traditionally associated with that period. In 2005, UNESCO designated Hazor a World Heritage Site. A massive Canaanite capital. A city destroyed by fire. And ancient fortifications connected to the world of Israel’s kings. Sources: UNESCO, Biblical Tels; Yigael Yadin, Hazor; Joshua 11; 1 Kings 9:15. #BiblicalArchaeology #TelHazor #BibleHistory