About fifteen miles northeast of Jerusalem lies the City of Palm Trees, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. In Biblical times, Jericho was known as an oasis city and appears in fifty eight verses of Scripture. Here Jesus gave the Parable of the Pounds, found in the Gospel of Luke. Here Herod the Great built his winter palace, drawn by the warm climate and fresh springs. And here unfolds one of the most famous stories in the Bible , the city whose walls fell after Joshua's army marched around them blowing their trumpets.
You have probably been singing "the walls of Jericho came tumbling down" since childhood without ever seeing what Jericho looks like today. Though small, with a population of roughly twenty thousand, it overflows with religious, archaeological and natural treasures. Below are seven sites every pilgrim should know.
Zacchaeus Tree
On his way to Jericho, Jesus healed a blind man (Luke 18:35 43). It was also here that Zacchaeus, a tax collector despised by his own people, climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of the Lord. To everyone's astonishment, Jesus chose his house. Zacchaeus was so moved that he rose and said, "Look, Lord, I will give half of all I have to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much" (Luke 19:8). As the Lord himself said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." Be sure to add the Zacchaeus Tree to your route on your next visit to the Holy Land.
Elijah's Well
Not far from the old excavation site of Jericho stands Elijah's Well , the spring the prophet purified by throwing in salt and declaring, "Thus says the Lord, 'I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer'" (2 Kings 2:21). The spring still flows today, and its fresh water remains open to the public.
The Monastery of Temptation
This is the site where Christ was tempted by the devil during his forty day fast. A beautiful Greek Orthodox church clings to the sheer face of the mountain, some three hundred and fifty meters above sea level , a breathtaking sight in itself. The most memorable way to reach the monastery is by cable car, which offers a sweeping panorama of Jericho and its history, including the spring of Elisha below.
Jesus' Baptismal Site on the Jordan River
Among the most important pilgrimage sites in the Holy Land is the place of the "spiritual birth" , the site where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and the Holy Spirit descended from Heaven. Pilgrims travel here to renew their baptismal promises, and many are baptized for the first time in the waters of the Jordan.
"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him." (Matthew 3:16 17)
Dead Sea
Bordered by Jordan to the east and Palestine to the west, the Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world. Known in Arabic as Al Bahr al Mayyit, its surface sits roughly 430 metres below sea level, the lowest point on the surface of the earth.
Hisham's Palace
Hisham's Palace is one of the chief archaeological sites in Jericho. Its excavated remains reveal the splendor of a magnificent winter palace destroyed by an earthquake in 747 AD. The site preserves royal buildings, a mosque, water fountains, and remarkable mosaic floors that still glow with their original color.
Qumran
Qumran is the site where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, hidden in clay jars by a Bedouin shepherd in 1947. Today, visitors can still admire what archaeologists have uncovered , the remains of a tower, a kitchen, dining halls, and the very chambers where the Dead Sea Scrolls were written.
From hiking in Wadi Qelt to visiting the Church of St. George, from exploring Tel es Sultan to tasting the fresh fruits and vegetables produced year round in the Jericho City Market , this is a city that deserves to be visited at least once in a lifetime.
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Quick Facts About the City of Jericho
How old is Jericho? Archaeologists date the earliest settlement at Tell es Sultan to roughly 10,000 years ago, which makes Jericho the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.
Where is Jericho? In the Jordan Valley, about fifteen miles northeast of Jerusalem and just north of the Dead Sea.
The lowest city on earth: Jericho sits about 850 feet below sea level, lower than any other city in the world.
Jericho in the Bible: the city appears in dozens of verses, from the fall of its walls in Joshua 6 to the healing of blind Bartimaeus and the story of Zacchaeus in the Gospels.
Jericho also sits close to another treasure of biblical history: the caves of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, lie a short drive south along the shore. Read our guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls of Qumran.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Jericho famous in the Bible?
Jericho is the first city Israel conquered in the Promised Land, when its walls fell after Joshua's army marched around them for seven days (Joshua 6). In the New Testament, Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus and called Zacchaeus down from the sycamore tree here, and the road from Jerusalem to Jericho is the setting of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Is Jericho really the oldest city in the world?
Yes. Settlements at Jericho date back roughly 10,000 years, older than the pyramids of Egypt by thousands of years, and the city has been inhabited almost continuously ever since.
Can you visit Jericho today?
Yes. Jericho is one of the most visited stops in the Holy Land, with the Mount of Temptation cable car, Elisha's spring and the ancient tell all open to pilgrims. See our Holy Land pilgrimage page if you dream of walking these places yourself.
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