Web 2.0 → Homepage → Jericho

Jericho

to french

Jericho [d???rit?ou] Jéricho
jericho.idoneos.com

to italian

Bible Dictionary

Jericho
(place of fragrance), a city of high antiquity, situated in aplain traversed by the Jordan, and exactly over against wherethat river was crossed by the Israelites under Joshua. (joshua3:16) It was five miles west of the Jordan and seven milesnorthwest of the Dead Sea. It had a king. Its walls were soconsiderable that houses were built upon them. ch. (joshua2:15) The spoil that was found in it betokened its affluence.Jericho is first mentioned as the city to which the two spieswere sent by Joshua from Shittim. (joshua 2:1-21) It wasbestowed by him upon the tribe of Benjamin, ch. (joshua 18:21)and from this time a long interval elapses before Jerichoappears again upon the scene. Its second foundation under Hielthe Bethelite is recorded in (1 kings 16:34) Once rebuilt,Jericho rose again slowly into consequence. In its immediatevicinity the sons of the prophets sought retirement from theworld; Elisha "healed the spring of the waters;" and overagainst it, beyond Jordan, Elijah "went up by a whirlwind intoheaven." (2 kings 2:1-22) In its plains Zedekiah fell into thehands of the Chaldeans. (2 kings 25:5; jeremiah 39:5) In thereturn under Zerubbabel the "children of Jericho," 345 innumber, are comprised. (ezra 2:34; nehemiah 7:36) Under Herodthe Great it again became an important place. He fortified itand built a number of new palaces, which he named after hisfriends. If he did not make Jericho his habitual residence, heat last retired thither to die, and it was in the amphitheaterof Jericho that the news of his death was announced to theassembled soldiers and people by Salome. Soon afterward thepalace was burnt and the town plundered by one Simon, slave toHerod; but Archelaus rebuilt the former sumptuously, andfounded a new town on the plain, that bore his own name; and,most important of all, diverted water from a village calledNeaera to irrigate the plain which he had planted with palms.Thus Jericho was once more "a city of palms" when our Lordvisited it. Here he restored sight to the blind. (matthew20:30; mark 10:46; luke 18:35) Here the descendant of Rahab didnot disdain the hospitality of Zaccaeus the publican. Finally,between Jerusalem and Jericho was laid the scene of his storyof the good Samaritan. The city was destroyed by Vespasian. Thesite of ancient (the first) Jericho is placed by Dr. Robinsonin the immediate neighborhood of the fountain of Elisha; andthat of the second (the city of the new testament and ofjosephus) at the opening of the Wady Kelt (cherith), half anhour from the fountain. (the village identified with jericholies a mile and a half from the ancient site, and is calledriha . it contains probably 200 inhabitants, indolent andlicentious and about 40 houses. dr. olin says it is the"meanest and foulest village of palestine;" yet the soil of theplain is of unsurpassed fertility

ed.)