TRAVEL HOLYLAND : JERICHO, THE OLDEST AND LOWEST TOWN IN THE WORLD
JERICHO
As previous blog is about Promised Land to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Land that are flowing with milk and honey, so now we will begin our exploration of this promised land. According to biblical account, the first city to be conquered by Joshua and the Israelites are Jericho. So let’s turn our attention to this ancient city.
Dating back by at least ten thousand years, Jericho claims the title of the world’s oldest town. At 1200 feet (360m) below sea level, it is also the lowest town. Built around a spring which would be known as Spring of Elisha that releases 1000 gallons of water per minute. This water is distributed throughout an oasis by a complex system of gravity-flow irrigation, producing abundant fruit, flowers and spices. Jericho’s fertile oasis in the midst of the arid Judean Desert with tropical weather in summer but beautifully mild in winter has attracted visitors since the dawn of time. Hence this city also had produced tools for agriculture and weapons for war. It was one of the strongest and well defended Canaanites city in biblical time of Joshua and the Israelites that captured it around 1200 BC.
Drawn by Jericho’s temperate winter climate, Herod the great built one of his most remarkable palaces southwest of ancient Jericho about 2000 years ago. This ingenious constructions on both banks of Wadi Qilt include a large, double swimming bath.
It was at this city that story in the bible, recorded in Luke 19:1-5 happened : “And He (Jesus) entered and was passing through Jericho. And behold, there was a man whose name was called Zaccheus; and he was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he was seeking to see Jesus, who He was and could not because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. And he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. And as He came to the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay in your house.”
SYCAMORE TREE THAT ZACCHEUS CLIMB
The story ended sweetly with Zaccheus’s repentance and Jesus’s approval and blessing to him and his household. Today, every believer that come to Jericho, will pass by this traditional spot of a sycamore tree and discuss about this story. Zaccheus name has passed into history with close association to the tree as picture below.
It was also interesting to note that in this ancient city during the biblical time of Joshua-led conquest, the prostitute Rahab (local in Jericho) help to hid the two spies sent by Joshua (Joshua 2) and in doing so, the two spies can safely went back to Israelites camp, thus delivered an important intelligence information required before the Israelites went on to conquer this city. And later on, Rahab settled down among the Israelites and became the wife of Salmon. She then gave birth to Boaz, who married Rut the Moabitess who subsequently become the great grandmother of King David and centuries later, Jesus was born in the lineage of King David.
Today Jericho is a city that still draws millions of people around the world due to its location where many historical and biblical events took place. Below are some of the interesting spot that you might visit in your Holyland Tour to this city :
1. Sycamore Tree that Zaccheus climb in Luke 19.
MOUNT OF TEMPTATION, JERICHO
2. Mount of Temptations. It was here that tradition identify as the place where Jesus was tempted (Matthew 4 : 1 - 2).
3. Elisha Spring (2 Kings 2 : 19 – 22) where the prophet came to Jericho and perform healing of its water from death and barrenness.
ELISHA SPRING
4. Archaeological excavations site of ancient Jericho Wall that dated back to 8000 BC.
Therefore Jericho is a place you would not wanna miss in your Travel Holyland journey. You’re welcome to join us in our regular visit to this city. Kindly check our homepage for various departure dates. We will be happy to be at your service. Contact us via live chat or email.
Thank you and God Bless