Bible Reading : part 6. From Olive Tree

“Wealthy Canaanite city also known as “the city of palm trees” (2 Chron. 28:15). Jericho sat by the west bank of the Jordan River on open plains near the mountainous terrain of the Judean Wilderness and along the major route through the Jordan River Valley (connecting Galilee and Judea). Scripture first mentions it when the Israelite’s set up camp across from the city before entering Canaan on the east side of the Jordan (Num. 22:1). Moses climbed a mountain across from Jericho to see Canaan before his death (Deut. 34:1). Several Jewish spies sent to scout out the land were housed in the city by a local prostitute named Rahab, who is likely the mother of Boaz, the future kinsman redeemer husband of Ruth mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Josh. 2:1; Matt. 1:5). After following God’s instructions to march around the perimeter of the city seven consecutive days, the city walls crumbled (Josh. 6:15). The Israelite army attacked and plundered the city, sparing the lives of Rahab and her family as promised (Josh. 6:24-5). Both incidents are mentioned in the New Testament letter to the Hebrews as hallmarks of faith (Heb. 11:30-31). Joshua pronounced a curse on anyone who would attempt to rebuild Jericho’s walls (Josh. 6:26) which was later fulfilled by the attempts of a man named Hiel during King Ahab’s reign (1 Kings 16:34). Israel’s capture of Jericho set a precedence for their victory over other Canaanite peoples (Josh. 8:2; 10:28,30). The city was allotted to the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. 18:21). Later in Israel’s history, the prophet Elijah was taken by God into heaven by a whirlwind along the Jordan near Jericho (2 Kings 2:5, 11). His successor, Elisha, later restored Jericho’s water source during his ministry (2 Kings 2:19-22). According to Ezra and Nehemiah, 345 Jews returned to the city after exile in Babylon (Ezra 2:34; Neh. 7:36). By New Testament times Jericho was located slightly southeast of its original location. Herod the Great built a luxurious palace there, complete with pools and gardens. Three of the four gospels record Jesus healing blind men on his way through the city on his final trip to Jerusalem (Matt. 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43). It is also mentioned in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, which takes place along the road between Jerusalem and Jericho (Luke 10:30), and is where Jesus met with the tax collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-6).” Sent from Bible Study