The strongly fortified city that was the first to be taken by Israel when entering the land. The spies had been sheltered there by Rahab the harlot, from whom they heard that the terror of Israel had fallen upon the inhabitants. The city and all therein was accursed, and was to be utterly destroyed, except the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, which were consecrated to the Lord: typical of the power of Satan in the world that stops the progress of the Christian: he must count it all as accursed, though God may use such things by consecrating them to Himself.
The capture of the city was altogether of God, after it had been compassed six days by the people, accompanied by the ark and the priests blowing the trumpets: in that way they proclaimed the rights of the Lord of all the earth to the land, while Jericho was the fortress of the enemy. On the seventh day, after being compassed seven times (double type of perfection) the priests blowing their trumpets, the people shouted, and the walls of the city fell down. The city was destroyed and all that had life was put to the sword, except Rahab and those she had with her sheltered under the scarlet line (Josh. 2:1-22; Josh. 6; Heb. 11:30). A curse was pronounced upon the man who should re-build the city. This was verified when Hiel built it (1 Kings 16:34).
Jericho was allotted to Benjamin (Josh. 18:21); but later was taken possession of by Eglon the king of Moab. It is designated “the city of palm trees” (Deut. 34:3; Judg. 1:16; Judg. 3:13; 2 Chron. 28:15). Afterward “sons of the prophets” dwelt there: they said that the situation of the city was “pleasant,” but the water was bad. It was Elisha’s first miracle, he cast in salt and the water was healed. It was the ministration of the heavenly blessing in the place of the curse (2 Kings 2:18-22). Some who returned from exile are described as “children of Jericho” (Ezra 2:34; Neh. 7:36).
But little more is known of Jericho until Antony gave its palm groves and balsam gardens to Cleopatra; from her the place was rented by Herod the Great, who had a palace there, and it was there he died. It was burned down soon after, but was rebuilt by Archelaus. This was the city visited by the Lord, when He lodged with Zacchaeus and cured the blind men (Matt. 20:29; Mark 10:46; Luke 18:35; Luke 19:1).
The Ain es Sultan, 31° 52' N, 35° 27' E, is held to be the fountain healed by Elisha, and the ruins around mark the site of the ancient city, five miles from the Jordan; but this is not the site of the Jericho of New Testament times, which may or may not agree with the situation of the miserable village of Eriha, which is sometimes called Jericho: it is a mile and a half S.E. of the ancient site.