Full Article:
Imagine you’re in the desert in search for water – in the distance you think you see something that shimmers over the horizon – it looks like water, but are you being fooled again?
Such a story dates back centuries, repeated over and over again as it still is today for the ambitious traveler! At the western edge of the Jordan Rift Valley appears a “city of green” often referred to as “the city of palms”, much like an oasis in the middle of a desolate land.
You have reached the ancient city of Jericho, or Tell es-Sultan, where you will learn about the perennial spring that supported this city for centuries and provided the much needed irrigation system for the land as well as to quench the thirst for travelers.
Jericho has a rich history dating thousands of years (9000 B.C.E) of various conquerors – where archeologists have a treasure trove of discoveries – over twenty layers of civilizations! Referred to as the oldest city on earth, it also sits more than 800 feet below sea level. It is strategically located from the Jordan Rift valley to the hill country of Judea - dead center between the Jordan River from the Plains of Moab.
During the Hellenistic period, Herod “rented” Jericho from Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. After her suicide in 30 BC, Octavian gave Jericho to Herod. He was a master builder not only of Jerusalem and Masada, but also of Jericho. He constructed a winter palace, bathhouses adorned with mosaics, frescos and flooring lined with gold and marble.
Joshua, who took over from Moses, made the city famous by leading the Jews (Israelites) out of exile and into the Promised Land (Jerusalem). A reading Joshua 6, a favorite children’s Bible story, describes their entry into Jericho, when the “walls came tumbling down” allowing them to transverse to the Promise Land.
Stop for overview of Mt. Temptation where the Satan tried to tempt Jesus during His 40 day fast. There is also a monastery built into the clift and run by the Greek Orthodox Christians. You can access with a 30 minute steep walk or take a five minute cable car ride from Jericho.
The summit of the mount, about 360 meters above sea level, offers a spectacular panoramic view of the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and the mountains of Moab and Gilead
My family as you know lived in Jerusalem for a few years and we had very good Palestinian and Jewish friends. Jericho is controlled by the Palestinians, and many families living in Jerusalem have their “second” home in Jericho. Often during the weekends they travel to Jericho – only a short distance from Jerusalem.
One weekend we were invited by friends and so enjoyed our visit! I so remember the beautiful apricot trees surrounding the patio, where the young children after dinner enjoyed plucking a ripe apricot to eat for desert! My visit was very special, sitting next to the grandmother who spoke little English, but we communicated warmly through our eyes and hand gestures! The Palestinians are a very gracious and loving people.
Modern Jericho, occupied in the 1967 Six Day War, was one of the land swaps for the sake of peace and came under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority in 1994. The Palestinians built a casino as a tourist attraction following the peace agreement and it was the only legal gambling house in the entire region; many Israelis visited and it made a huge profit for a while.
But the beginning of the 2nd intifada in 2001 changed everything. The casino was closed down and Israelis were, and remain, prohibited from entering Jericho as well as all other areas under sole Palestinian jurisdiction.
The Allenby Bridge is about 5 miles from Jericho, one of the two border crossing into Jordan, the other being the Eilat crossing to Aqaba.
Happy Travels!
May 1, 2023
