JERICHO - RESOURCES

Rahab the prostitute helps Joshua

Joshua 2 - for the  'JOSHUA AT JERICHO' page

1  Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

2  The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." 

3  So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land."

4  But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 

5  At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." 

Rahab the Prostitute

6  (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 

7  So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

8  Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 

9  and said to them, "I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 

10  We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.

11  When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. 

12  Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 

13  that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death."

14  "Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land."

Walls of Jericho

15  So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 

16  Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."

17  The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 

18  unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 

19  If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him.

20  But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear."

21  "Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

22  When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 

23  Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 

24  They said to Joshua, "The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."

The Fall of Jericho          

Joshua 6 - for the  'JOSHUA AT JERICHO' page

The Fall of Jericho

1  Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

2  Then the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 

3  March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 

4  Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 

5  When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."

6  So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it." 

7  And he ordered the people, "Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord."

8  When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord's covenant followed them. 

9  The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 

10  But Joshua had commanded the people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!" 

Tel Jericho Excavations

11  So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there.

12  Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 

13  The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding. 

14  So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

15  On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 

16  The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 

17  The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. 

18  But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. 

19  All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury."

20  When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city. 

21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.

22  Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." 

23  So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

Tel Jericho Excavations

24  Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord's house. 

25  But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

26  At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath:
"Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:      
"At the cost of his firstborn son      
will he lay its foundations;      
at the cost of his youngest      
will he set up its gates."

The people of Jericho help to repair the walls of Jerusalem    

Nehemiah 3:2

1  Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. 

2  The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zaccur son of Imri built next to them.

Jesus heals a blind man at Jericho

Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-43

29  As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 

30  Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

31  The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

32  Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.

Prehistoric Wall

33  "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight."

34  Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:29-34)

46  Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 

47  When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

48  Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

49  Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 

50  Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51  "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.      The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

52  "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:46-52)

35  As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 

36  When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 

37  They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."

38  He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

39  Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"40Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 

41  "What do you want me to do for you?"      "Lord, I want to see," he replied.

42  Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 

43  Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. (Luke18:35-43)

Jesus dines at the house of Zacchaeus in Jericho           

Luke 19:1-10

Prehistoric Wall

1  Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 

2  A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 

3  He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 

4  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5  When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 

6  So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7  All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "

8  But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

9  Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."