QUESTIONS FROM READERS

What have archaeologists found that shows that Jericho was captured in a short time?

Joshua 6:10-15, 20 says that the Israelite soldiers marched around the city of Jericho once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they went around the city seven times. Then God made the strong walls of Jericho fall, and the Israelites captured the city. Have archaeologists found anything that shows that the siege of Jericho was short, just as the Bible says?

In ancient times, a city was under siege when an army surrounded its walls, ready to attack it. If a siege lasted a long time, the people in the city would eat most of the food they had stored. When the soldiers finally captured the city, they would take everything they wanted, including any food that was left. That is why archaeologists have discovered very little food or none at all in the ruins of cities in Palestine that were attacked in this way. But the ruins of Jericho are different. Biblical Archaeology Review says: “The most abundant item found in the destruction, apart from pottery, was grain.” It adds: “To find such an extensive amount of grain is exceptional.”

The Bible says that the Israelites did not take any of the food in Jericho because Jehovah had commanded them not to. (Joshua 6:17, 18) It also says that the Israelites attacked Jericho in the spring, right after the harvest, when there was a lot of grain stored in the city. (Joshua 3:15-17; 5:10) So the fact that there was still a lot of grain in Jericho after the siege confirms that the siege was short, just as the Bible says.