Lecture Notes: Ancient Site of Jericho

Introduction

• Jericho: An ancient site where the Bible claims the walls fell upon the Israelites' attack.
• Key Archaeologists:
  • John Garstang (1930s): Concluded evidence matched the Biblical account.
  • Kathleen Kenyon (1950s): Disputed Garstang, claimed no city or walls during the Israelites' attack.

Archaeological Studies

• Site Description:
  • Jericho is a "tell," a mound indicating layered ancient city ruins.
  • Layers reflect successive city rebuilds over time.

Key Archaeologists and Their Views

• Dr. Peter Parr & Dr. Bryant Wood:
  • Parr: Worked with Kenyon, non-religious.
  • Wood: Focuses on pottery analysis, religious.
• Agreement: Unanimous scholarly consensus that the site is indeed Jericho.

Excavations and Findings

• Excavation Teams:
  • German Team (1907-1909), John Garstang (1930s), Kathleen Kenyon (1950s).
• Findings:
  • Remains of a stone retaining wall and mud brick walls.
  • Garstang and Kenyon found piles of collapsed mud bricks, suggesting a wall collapse.
  • Destruction layer with evidence of fire, matching Biblical accounts of city burning.

Pottery Analysis

• Dating by Pottery:
  • Dating is crucial for correlating excavation findings with historical timelines.
• Discrepancy in Dating:
  • Garstang dated destruction to ~1400 BC (matching Biblical timeline).
  • Kenyon dated destruction to ~1550 BC (150 years earlier).
  • Pottery Parallels:
    • Kenyon's dating error attributed to lack of Cypriot pottery.
    • Garstang’s findings included local Canaanite pottery, supporting a later date.

Biblical Correlation

• Biblical Account:
  • Joshua 6.20 describes wall collapse and city destruction by fire.
  • Evidence suggests grain burnt, aligning with Biblical prohibition against plundering.
  • Pottery and grain findings support a springtime siege, fitting Biblical timeline.
• Debate:
  • Discrepancy is primarily due to dating methodology and interpretation of findings.

Conclusion

• Interpretations:
  • Some scholars support Biblical account based on archaeological evidence.
  • Others remain skeptical due to dating discrepancies.
• Final Thoughts:
  • Evidence suggests a strong correlation between Biblical text and archaeological finds.
  • The battle of Jericho might be a historical event as described in the Bible.