How did the Israelites invade Jericho?

Answer 1

According to The Bible, Joshua conquered Jericho by marching his army around the city many times over a number of days. As per the instruction from God, Joshua instructed his army to make loud noise and blow their trumpets loudly. The people of Jericho mocked them from atop the city walls, but on the last day, the walls tumbled from the noise and the majority of Jericho's citizens were destroyed without firing a single arrow.

However, according to modern day archeologists, Jericho was actually abandoned at the time Joshua was supposed to have conquered it. It is widely believed by many highly educated archeologists that the battle never actually took place, and have concluded that the battle did not occur when the Bible claims it did. Moreover, it can be seen as a very good thing that it did not happen. The Jericho story is many times watered down when it is told or read. But when reading the Bible account one finds at the end God has every living thing murdered, including animals and even yes, children. Thankfully it is most likely that passersby saw a crumbled city and invented a story about it through the centuries. Through generations of retelling it grew into the story found in the Biblical canon.

AnswerAccording to Joshua, the Isrealites marched around the city once a day for six days carrying the Ark of the Covenant and with certain members playing horns. On the seventh day they marched around the city seven times, blowing their horns and giving a great shout. The walls then collapsed, allowing the Isrealites to attack and destroy the city.

Answer 2

According to the Book of Joshua, the Israelites were able to conquer the city of Jericho after thay marched around it for seven days, in a scene remarkably reminiscent of an earlier Canaanite seige of Megiddo. In fact, some scholars believe the story of the seige of Jericho was inspired by the story of the seige of Megiddo. If the walls of Jericho could be reduced to rubble, the Bible says that there were 600,000 fighting men among the Israelites, an overwhelming force that the city could not withstand.

Similarly, Joshua says that the Israelites conquered the city of Ai by a clever strategem that separated the forces of its king and left the city undefended. This story is problematic in that it assumes the forces were somewhat evenly matched, yet the Israelites supposeldy had overwhelming force.

Historians and archaeologists say that the Israelites never conquered eitherr Jericho or Ai, because neither city even existed at the time attributed to the conquest. They say there was no military conquest of Canaan. The story of the magnificent exploits of the early Israelites evolved in folklore centuries after the events were said to have happened.

Answer 3

Another answer from our community:

The Isrealites marched around the city once a day for six days, and then seven times on the seventh day, causing the walls to collapse. The Isrealites then attacked the city, destroying everything.

Answer 4

The answer to this question is found in the Bible, in the book of Joshua, chapter 6, verses 1-20 (Joshua 6:1-20) Joshua is the 6th book of the Bible starting from the front.

God told Joshua, the leader of the Israelites, to have the Israelites march around the city of Jericho once a day for six days. While they marched, they were to not speak. Then on the seventh day, they were to march around the walls of Jericho seven times with 7 priests carrying trumpets marching before the ark of the covenant. On the 7th time around the walls of Jericho on the 7th day, the priests were to blow the trumpets and the people were to shout. When they did that, the walls came tumbling down.

So the Israelites won the battle of Jericho by marching around the city, blowing the horns and shouting, in obedience to God.

Answer 5

According to the Book of Exodus, the Israelites had 600,000 fighting men, but the Book of Joshua says that only 40,000 men prepared for war against Jericho. For seven days, the people marched once around the city walls, with seven priests at their head carrying seven trumpets, which they blew. But on the seventh day, they marched around seven times and then the whole army gave a loud shout, at which the walls fell down. The army entered the city and massacred the entire population, save for the prostitute Rahab.

According to scholars, the Israelites never invaded Jericho. Archaeologists say the city had been abandoned in 1500 BCE, long before the time attributed to Joshua and certainly long before the first evidence of the Israelites in 1205 BCE. The walls no longer existed when Joshua would have developed this bold plan, and there was, at most, an unwalled mud-brick village at the site.

Some scholars believe that the story of Joshua marching his army around Jericho was based on an earlier, historical event in which the walled city of Megiddo was besieged. In that instance, a Canaanite army marched around the walls for seven days, until the defenders grew tired of moving their forces around the inside defences as the besiegers marched. When the defenders were no longer keeping proper guard, the army suddenly attacked a weak point in the wall and entered the city.

Answer 6

The Israelites marched around Jericho once each day, six days, and seven times on the seventh day, at which time God made the wall collapse (Joshua ch.6).See also:

Archaeology and the Hebrew Bible

Evidence of the conquest of Jericho

Answer 7

The Bible says that the Israelites conquered Jericho because God promised them the ancestral land of the Canaanites, and Jericho was the first walled city they encountered after they crossed the River Jordan.

However, most scholars say that there was never a military conquest of Canaan as described in the Bible. Furthermore, archaeologists say that the city of Jericho had already been abandoned long before, and that there was no walled city at the time Joshua is supposed to have miraculously brought down its walls. This was a legend that grew up centuries later. By pre-modern times, it became necessary to develop apologies to defend what is portrayed in the Bible as an invasion and genocide, and this is a role that further, non-scriptural commentaries filled.

Answer 8

The Israelites conquered Jericho at God's explicit command (Joshua 6:2-5). God promised Israel (Canaan) to the Israelites(Genesis ch.28, Exodus ch.3), and commanded them to take the entire land (Deuteronomy ch.1 and many other passages).

Note:

1) The Canaanites were exceptionally wicked (Leviticus ch.18, Deuteronomy ch.18).2) Israel (Canaan) originally belonged to the Semites (after the Flood) and was gradually seized from them by the Canaanites (Rashi commentary, Genesis 12:6). This was one of the reasons why God gave the land to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis ch.13), since he was a Semite (Genesis ch.11).
3) The Israelites did not simply slaughter the Canaanites. They fought them in proper battle (Joshua ch.10) with miraculous assistance from God (Exodus ch.23).
4) They warned the Canaanites concerning God's command to take Canaan (Jerusalem Talmud, Shevi'it 6:1), and gave them a chance to leave the land (ibid). The Girgashites took the warning seriously and departed to Africa (ibid.), while the Gibeonites made a treaty with the Israelites (Joshua ch.9). The rest of the Canaanites insisted on fighting, and attacked the Israelites with a massive army (Joshua ch.11).
5) Whenever fighting, the Israelites never completely surrounded any town. They offered conditional peace, and then (if peace was rejected) left one area open for escape so that whoever wanted to flee could do so (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of kings and war ch.6).See also:

About Joshua

Archaeology and the Hebrew Bible

Evidence of the conquest of Jericho

Answer 9

God did a miracle and the river parted for them to cross on dry ground (Joshua ch.3).

Answer 10

First of all it was not the Hebrews it was the Israelites. They won the battle because God was with them to defeat the Canaanites.