AI Summary
5 min readThe Fall of Jericho: The Evidence
It's the 17th century BC, and the inhabitants of Jericho are crowding the ramparts of their walled city, squinting down at a strange procession below. Seven Israelite priests are walking the perimeter in a slow, steady march, carrying a large gold box. The only sound is the crunch of sandals on dry earth and the occasional low moan of a ram's horn. "Is this war? They must have just thought this is insane. What on earth are they doing?" says historian Tony McMahon. For six days the bizarre procession continues. No attack, no explanation. Then on the seventh day, the walls miraculously collapse. This dramatic account—one of the best-known stories in the Old Testament—has captivated historians, archaeologists, and religious scholars for centuries, all determined to discover whether such an event really could have occurred.
The City and the Siege
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:20) **The Biblical Account of Jericho's Fall** - The episode opens by dramatizing the six-day procession of Israelite priests around Jericho, setting up the miraculous collapse of the walls on the seventh day.
- 2 (03:09) **Introducing Historian Tony McMahon** - Author and historian Tony McMahon joins to discuss the lively debate among historians and archaeologists about whether the siege of Jericho actually happened.
- 3 (04:01) **Jericho's Historical and Strategic Importance** - The episode explains Jericho's significance as one of the oldest settled human civilizations, situated at the southern end of the Jordan Valley.
- 4 (06:54) **The Spies and Rahab** - The biblical narrative continues with Joshua sending two spies to Jericho, who are hidden by a woman named Rahab (traditionally translated as a prostitute or innkeeper).
- 5 (07:57) **The Ark of the Covenant as a Weapon** - The episode explores the Ark of the Covenant as God's "secret weapon," a golden chest holding the Ten Commandments that was believed to contain a dangerous divine presence.
- 6 (10:16) **God's Instructions and the Ritual** - The episode quotes God's exact words to Joshua, commanding the six-day march and the seventh-day seven-circuit march with trumpets and a final shout.
- 7 (11:20) **The Aftermath and Moral Questions** - The episode addresses the shocking totality of the destruction, where "men, women, children, even animals" were killed to ensure the city would never rise again.
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Show Notes
The walls of Jericho are said to have fallen after seven days of marching and trumpet blasts – but what does the archaeology actually reveal? Historian Tony McMahon joins Forbidden History to investigate one of the Bible’s most dramatic stories, the ruined city beneath modern Jericho, and its strange customs and of course the enduring mystery of what really brought its walls down.
Cast List
Eric Meyers: Narrator
Tony McMahon: Author & Historian
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