PPNA Wall of Jericho
Encyclopedia
The Wall of Jericho
is a Pre-Pottery Neolithic A
(PPNA) defensive or flood protection wall suggested to date to approximately 8000 BC.
, the Israelites destroy the wall of Jericho by walking around it with the ark of the covenant
for seven days, on the last of which they blew trumpets of rams' horns and shouted to make the walls fall down . The events of the account are suggested to be dated at around 1400 BC. Speculations about the existence of fortifications dating to this period persisted in biblical archaeology
until Kathleen Kenyon
's comprehensive excavations in the 1950s.
. He dug through the mud bricks of the wall without realizing what it was, suggesting there was little interesting at the site. Ernest Sellin and Carl Watzinger
excavated Jericho between 1907 and 1909 and found the remains of two walls which they initially suggested supported the biblical account. They later revised this conclusion and dated their finds to the middle Bronze Age
(1950-1550 BC). The site was again excavated by John Garstang
between 1930 and 1936, who again raised the suggestion that remains of the upper wall was that described in the Bible
. Kathleen Kenyon
resumed extensive excavations between 1952 and 1958 and found no late bronze age defensive wall or pottery. Her excavations found a series of seventeen early bronze age walls, some of which she thought may have been destroyed by earthquake
s. The last of the walls was put together in a hurry, indicating that the settlement had been destroyed by nomadic invaders. Another wall was built by a more sophisticated culture the middle bronze age with a steep plaster
ed escarpment leading up to mud bricks on top. After this there was a hiatus until later iron age
material dating to around the seventh century BC. They did not find substantial evidence for renewed occupation in the late bronze age at the time of Joshua, which in general agreed with the earlier statement by Watzinger that "in the time of Joshua, Jericho was a heap of ruins, on which stood perhaps a few isolated huts". Perhaps the most important discovery was evidence that the earliest wall suggested by Kenyon to date to around 8000 BC based on Radiocarbon dating
of material at 7825 BC from level IV, phase III of the site. This time period was thereafter called the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A
stone age
and the wall considered part of an early proto-city
. It surrounded and protected a Neolithic
settlement which contained an organized community of between 2000 to 3000 people.
built into it. The wall is thought to have been built in order to prevent floods but the height of the wall (approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) thick and 12 to- high) as well as that of the tower suggests a defensive purpose as well. Furthermore, the construction of such a project implies some sort of social organization, division of labour
, and classes. Surrounding the wall was a ditch 27 feet (8 m) wide by 9 feet (3 m) deep, cut through solid bedrock
with a circumference of around the town of as much as 600 metres (1,968.5 ft). Kathleen Kenyon
commented on the work involved in the construction of the ditch: "The labor involved in excavating this ditch out of solid rock
must have been tremendous. As we have discovered nothing in the way of heavy flint
pick
s, one can only suppose that it was carried out with stone mauls, perhaps helped by splitting with fire
and water
." The wall itself was 6.5 feet (2 m) wide by 12 feet (4 m) high.
. The town contained round mud-brick houses, yet no street planning. Despite the existence of the wall and tower, Jericho is still a proto-city
, much like Çatalhöyük
. Speculation persists about the purpose of the tower and it may have had several purposes. Archaeologists Ran Barkai and Roy Liran used computers to reconstruct sunsets and recently found that when the Tower of Jericho
was built, nearby mountains cast a shadow on it as the sun set on the longest day of the year. The shadow fell exactly on the structure and then spread out to cover the entire village of Jericho.
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
is a Pre-Pottery Neolithic A
Pre-Pottery Neolithic A
Pre-Pottery Neolithic A denotes the first stage in early Levantine Neolithic culture, dating around 9500 to 8500 BC. Archaeological remains are located in the Levantine and upper Mesopotamian region of the Fertile Crescent...
(PPNA) defensive or flood protection wall suggested to date to approximately 8000 BC.
Biblical story
In the Book of JoshuaBook of Joshua
The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in the Hebrew Bible and of the Old Testament. Its 24 chapters tell of the entry of the Israelites into Canaan, their conquest and division of the land under the leadership of Joshua, and of serving God in the land....
, the Israelites destroy the wall of Jericho by walking around it with the ark of the covenant
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
for seven days, on the last of which they blew trumpets of rams' horns and shouted to make the walls fall down . The events of the account are suggested to be dated at around 1400 BC. Speculations about the existence of fortifications dating to this period persisted in biblical archaeology
Biblical archaeology
For the movement associated with William F. Albright and also known as biblical archaeology, see Biblical archaeology school. For the interpretation of biblical archaeology in relation to biblical historicity, see The Bible and history....
until Kathleen Kenyon
Kathleen Kenyon
Dame Kathleen Mary Kenyon , was a leading archaeologist of Neolithic culture in the Fertile Crescent. She is best known for her excavations in Jericho in 1952-1958.-Early life:...
's comprehensive excavations in the 1950s.
Excavation
One wall was excavated by Sir Charles Warren in 1868 at the request of the Palestine Exploration FundPalestine Exploration Fund
The Palestine Exploration Fund is a British society often simply known as the PEF. It was founded in 1865 and is still functioning today. Its initial object was to carry out surveys of the topography and ethnography of Ottoman Palestine with a remit that fell somewhere between an expeditionary...
. He dug through the mud bricks of the wall without realizing what it was, suggesting there was little interesting at the site. Ernest Sellin and Carl Watzinger
Carl Watzinger
Carl Watzinger was a German-born archaeologist that was part of a team that worked on uncovering the site of the ancient city of Jericho from 1907 to 1908. His partner was the German theologian Ernst Sellin....
excavated Jericho between 1907 and 1909 and found the remains of two walls which they initially suggested supported the biblical account. They later revised this conclusion and dated their finds to the middle Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
(1950-1550 BC). The site was again excavated by John Garstang
John Garstang
John Garstang was a British archaeologist of the ancient Near East, especially Anatolia and the southern Levant....
between 1930 and 1936, who again raised the suggestion that remains of the upper wall was that described in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. Kathleen Kenyon
Kathleen Kenyon
Dame Kathleen Mary Kenyon , was a leading archaeologist of Neolithic culture in the Fertile Crescent. She is best known for her excavations in Jericho in 1952-1958.-Early life:...
resumed extensive excavations between 1952 and 1958 and found no late bronze age defensive wall or pottery. Her excavations found a series of seventeen early bronze age walls, some of which she thought may have been destroyed by earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s. The last of the walls was put together in a hurry, indicating that the settlement had been destroyed by nomadic invaders. Another wall was built by a more sophisticated culture the middle bronze age with a steep plaster
Plaster
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...
ed escarpment leading up to mud bricks on top. After this there was a hiatus until later iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
material dating to around the seventh century BC. They did not find substantial evidence for renewed occupation in the late bronze age at the time of Joshua, which in general agreed with the earlier statement by Watzinger that "in the time of Joshua, Jericho was a heap of ruins, on which stood perhaps a few isolated huts". Perhaps the most important discovery was evidence that the earliest wall suggested by Kenyon to date to around 8000 BC based on Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
of material at 7825 BC from level IV, phase III of the site. This time period was thereafter called the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A
Pre-Pottery Neolithic A
Pre-Pottery Neolithic A denotes the first stage in early Levantine Neolithic culture, dating around 9500 to 8500 BC. Archaeological remains are located in the Levantine and upper Mesopotamian region of the Fertile Crescent...
stone age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
and the wall considered part of an early proto-city
Proto-city
Proto-city is a term usually used to describe large villages or towns of the Neolithic Period such as Jericho and Catal Huyuk, but also any prehistoric settlement which has both rural and urban features, in an attempt to distinguish them from cities in later periods. Predynastic Egypt and Ubaid...
. It surrounded and protected a Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
settlement which contained an organized community of between 2000 to 3000 people.
Construction
The wall was complemented by a stone towerTower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
built into it. The wall is thought to have been built in order to prevent floods but the height of the wall (approximately 5 feet (1.5 m) thick and 12 to- high) as well as that of the tower suggests a defensive purpose as well. Furthermore, the construction of such a project implies some sort of social organization, division of labour
Division of labour
Division of labour is the specialisation of cooperative labour in specific, circumscribed tasks and likeroles. Historically an increasingly complex division of labour is closely associated with the growth of total output and trade, the rise of capitalism, and of the complexity of industrialisation...
, and classes. Surrounding the wall was a ditch 27 feet (8 m) wide by 9 feet (3 m) deep, cut through solid bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
with a circumference of around the town of as much as 600 metres (1,968.5 ft). Kathleen Kenyon
Kathleen Kenyon
Dame Kathleen Mary Kenyon , was a leading archaeologist of Neolithic culture in the Fertile Crescent. She is best known for her excavations in Jericho in 1952-1958.-Early life:...
commented on the work involved in the construction of the ditch: "The labor involved in excavating this ditch out of solid rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
must have been tremendous. As we have discovered nothing in the way of heavy flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
pick
Pickaxe
A pickaxe or pick is a hand tool with a hard head attached perpendicular to the handle.Some people make the distinction that a pickaxe has a head with a pointed end and a flat end, and a pick has both ends pointed, or only one end; but most people use the words to mean the same thing.The head is...
s, one can only suppose that it was carried out with stone mauls, perhaps helped by splitting with fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
and water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
." The wall itself was 6.5 feet (2 m) wide by 12 feet (4 m) high.
Discussion
The town of Jericho, which was about six acres (2.5 ha) in size, preceded the wall by about 500 years. In fact, evidence suggests that construction started prior to the agricultural revolutionNeolithic Revolution
The Neolithic Revolution was the first agricultural revolution. It was the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement. Archaeological data indicates that various forms of plants and animal domestication evolved independently in 6 separate locations worldwide circa...
. The town contained round mud-brick houses, yet no street planning. Despite the existence of the wall and tower, Jericho is still a proto-city
Proto-city
Proto-city is a term usually used to describe large villages or towns of the Neolithic Period such as Jericho and Catal Huyuk, but also any prehistoric settlement which has both rural and urban features, in an attempt to distinguish them from cities in later periods. Predynastic Egypt and Ubaid...
, much like Çatalhöyük
Çatalhöyük
Çatalhöyük was a very large Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement in southern Anatolia, which existed from approximately 7500 BCE to 5700 BCE...
. Speculation persists about the purpose of the tower and it may have had several purposes. Archaeologists Ran Barkai and Roy Liran used computers to reconstruct sunsets and recently found that when the Tower of Jericho
Tower of Jericho
The Tower of Jericho is an stone structure, built in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A period around 8000 BCE. It is among the earliest stone monuments of mankind....
was built, nearby mountains cast a shadow on it as the sun set on the longest day of the year. The shadow fell exactly on the structure and then spread out to cover the entire village of Jericho.