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‘And the Walls Came Tumbling Down’ – The History and Historicity of the Biblical Account of Jericho

Khalid Elhassan May 16, 2025 16 min

Jericho - Depiction of the Old Testament's description of Jericho's walls miraculously falling down — Depiction of the Old Testament's description of Jericho's walls miraculously falling down. Pinterest

7. Jericho in the Epipaleolithic Period, Circa 10,000 – 8500 BC

Jericho - Tell es-Sultan, site of ancient Jericho — Tell es-Sultan, site of ancient Jericho. Wikimedia

The earliest evidence of human activity at Tell es-Sultan dates back to the Epipaleolithic period. During this time, Natufian hunter-gatherers frequented the area, and left behind microlithic tools and other artifacts. The abundance of resources, particularly water from the nearby spring, facilitated extended stays and possibly year-round habitation.

The origins of Jericho as a city trace back to the Natufian period, around 10,000 BC, at time of transition from nomadic lifestyles to settled communities. Archaeological excavations at Tell es-Sultan reveal evidence of early permanent settlements.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.