![]() One of the most vivid elements of the fall of Jericho, as described in Scripture, is the walls that came “a-tumbling down.” In Joshua 6:20 we read, “So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. ![]() Photo Credit: Associates for Biblical Research Bryan Wood points to collapsed mud bricks from the city wall that fell to the base of the retaining wall at Jericho. Here are three pieces of archaeological evidence that affirm details in the biblical account. In Joshua 6, we read a description of the fall of Jericho, which provides several more clues about its demise. Indeed, we do find archaeological evidence of destruction by fire at Jericho, Ai, and Hazor around 1400 BC, exactly as the Bible describes. So, what kind of evidence should we expect to find of the Conquest? Three cities are specifically described in the book of Joshua as being destroyed and burned: Jericho (6:24), Ai (8:28), and Hazor (11:11). Since the Bible describes a limited, prolonged conquest of Canaan, with the Israelites living amidst the local population, the distinct archaeological record of their presence would be limited. In Joshua 17:12 we read, “ Yet the people of Manasseh could not take possession of those cities, but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.” Similar descriptions of places that were not conquered are found in Joshua 11:22, 13:1-5 and 16:10. Moreover, the Israelites did not conquer all of Canaan there were numerous groups they could not drive out. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.” Rather than destroying all of the cities, the Israelites lived in most of the Canaanite cities once they had taken them. 3 In Joshua 24:13, God tells his people, “I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. Courtesy of Ī careful reading of both Joshua and Judges, reveals that the Israelites did not immediately take over the entire land, destroy all the cities, re-build their own cities and establish their own distinct, material culture. 2 An illustration of Late Bronze Age Jericho. ![]() This has led some to look for signs of a conquest in the 13 th century, while others have abandoned the idea of a conquest altogether, opting for other theories to account for the appearance of the Israelites in Canaan, such as the Gradual Settlement Theory or the Internal Process Model. The archaeological record in the 15 th century BC 1 shows no conquest of this kind in Canaan. ![]() When reading the book of Joshua, some get the impression that the Israelites launched a swift and massive invasion of Canaan, pillaging and destroying cities wherever they went. The question is, “What kind of evidence should we expect to find?” If the Bible is historically accurate when it describes the Israelite conquest of Canaan, we should expect to find some archaeological evidence to support this significant event. ![]()
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