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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

17. The Spiritual Aspect of the Conquest of Canaan

Israelites Cross the Jordan, by Jan Luyken, 1698, colorized. Rijksmuseum

The Bible emphasizes that the conquest of Canaan was not just a military effort, but a spiritual one. God is portrayed as the campaign’s true leader, fighting for the Israelites. In return, they were to remain faithful, obey God’s laws, and eradicate idolatry from the land. The conquered land was divided among the twelve tribes of Israel. However, not all Canaanite cities were destroyed, and the Israelites did not drive out all the inhabitants. That led to later conflict and religious compromise.

Historically and archaeologically, the conquest of Canaan is debated. Some scholars support a rapid conquest model, while others suggest a gradual infiltration or internal social upheaval. Regardless of historical interpretation, the biblical account of the conquest of Canaan is central to the Israelite religious identity. It set the stage for the period of Judges, and the eventual establishment of an Israelite monarchy.

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.