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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

16. The Historicity of the Conquest of Canaan

An excavated twelfth century BC Canaanite fortress. Irish Sun

The historicity of the conquest of Canaan is subject to significant debate among historians, archaeologists, and biblical scholars. The biblical account, mainly found in the Book of Joshua, presents a swift and divinely guided military campaign in which the Israelites, under Joshua’s leadership, invaded and conquered Canaan. However, archaeological evidence and historical analysis cast doubts on the accuracy and timing of that narrative.

According to the Bible, the conquest occurred in the late Bronze Age, roughly between 1400 and 1200 BC, depending on how the biblical chronology is inerpreted. The Israelites are said to have crossed the Jordan River, destroyed cities like Jericho and Ai, defeated various Canaanite kings, and claimed the land for themselves as promised by God. As seen below, archaeological investigations at several key sites mentioned in the biblical account have produced mixed results.

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.