srettig24 Jericho is the oldest city in the world being over 10,000 years old and has the oldest built fortified walls. Jericho is located on the Jordan River in the West Bank. Jericho was called the city of Palm trees, and still has many Palm trees today.
Ruins
In Jericho, you can go and see the remains of the oldest fortified walls ever built. Sure- the walls are not very impressive to look at, just piles of old rocks in the ground on a small hill. Yet, when you consider what the walls represent, innovation and significance in history, you realize what an amazing place this is.
Remains of more than 20 consecutive settlements have been found by archaeologists in Jericho. The walls in the photos above were not all constructed at the same time, more walls were constructed as time passed. It is estimated that about 2,000-3,000 people lived in Jericho during its early days.
Jericho is mentioned by name 57 times in the Bible
Around 1900 BC the Canaanites settled in Jericho. While the Canaanites were in Jericho a battle occurred according to recordings in the Bible. In the story, Joshua lead the Israelites into battle; and was victorious over the Canaanites. Later, the town was rebuilt by King Herod who built a winter residence in Jericho. You can see some of the remains from his residence today. Now, Jericho is a modern city with about 20,000 Palestinian, demonstrating how a place can be reinvented many times over history.
Elisha’s Spring or Ein Al Sultan
This spring is the largest in the area and it is believed that the Prophet Elisha performed, according to the biblical description the miracle of “Healing of the Water”.
Mount of Temptation or Jebel Quruntal
Referenced in the Bible as a “high place” where the Devil offered Jesus to rule over all the kingdoms of the world. Hiding in these caves Jesus spent 40 days being tempted in the desert. The flag of the Crusaders is flown from this Monastery, a nod to its history, having been occupied during the Crusades and the Monastery built by Catholics.
Unfortunately, I was not able to go in and see the Monastery because the Monk was temperamental and not in the mood to open the doors. I was able to get some good photos from the top and this one looking up to the cliffside Monastery.
I met lots of people who were saying “Hi” to me on the street and spoke extremely good English who were excited to share their culture. The food in Jericho was very good and the bread looked next level. I was happy to do more than just go to a super touristic sight for 2 hours and leave. Although I did not stay for a significant period of time I do feel like I had a unique experience and got a small sense of the West Bank.
T- thanks for the great recommendations and your passion and love for your community and country
