Jericho
     n : a village in Jordan near the north end of the Dead Sea; in
         the Old Testament it was the first place taken by the
         Israelites under Joshua as the entered the Promised Land

	

	Jericho
   place of fragrance, a fenced city in the midst of a vast grove
   of palm trees, in the plain of Jordan, over against the place
   where that river was crossed by the Israelites (Josh. 3:16). Its
   site was near the 'Ain es-Sultan, Elisha's Fountain (2 Kings
   2:19-22), about 5 miles west of Jordan. It was the most
   important city in the Jordan valley (Num. 22:1; 34:15), and the
   strongest fortress in all the land of Canaan. It was the key to
   Western Palestine.
   
     This city was taken in a very remarkable manner by the
   Israelites (Josh. 6). God gave it into their hands. The city was
   "accursed" (Heb. herem, "devoted" to Jehovah), and accordingly
   (Josh. 6:17; comp. Lev. 27:28, 29; Deut. 13:16) all the
   inhabitants and all the spoil of the city were to be destroyed,
   "only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of
   iron" were reserved and "put into the treasury of the house of
   Jehovah" (Josh. 6:24; comp. Num. 31:22, 23, 50-54). Only Rahab
   "and her father's household, and all that she had," were
   preserved from destruction, according to the promise of the
   spies (Josh. 2:14). In one of the Amarna tablets Adoni-zedec
   (q.v.) writes to the king of Egypt informing him that the 'Abiri
   (Hebrews) had prevailed, and had taken the fortress of Jericho,
   and were plundering "all the king's lands." It would seem that
   the Egyptian troops had before this been withdrawn from
   Palestine.
   
     This city was given to the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. 18:21),
   and it was inhabited in the time of the Judges (Judg. 3:13; 2
   Sam. 10:5). It is not again mentioned till the time of David (2
   Sam. 10:5). "Children of Jericho" were among the captives who
   returned under Zerubbabel Ezra 2:34; Neh. 7:36). Hiel (q.v.) the
   Bethelite attempted to make it once more a fortified city (1
   Kings 16:34). Between the beginning and the end of his
   undertaking all his children were cut off.
   
     In New Testament times Jericho stood some distance to the
   south-east of the ancient one, and near the opening of the
   valley of Achor. It was a rich and flourishing town, having a
   considerable trade, and celebrated for the palm trees which
   adorned the plain around. It was visited by our Lord on his last
   journey to Jerusalem. Here he gave sight to two blind men (Matt.
   20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52), and brought salvation to the house of
   Zacchaeus the publican (Luke 19:2-10).
   
     The poor hamlet of er-Riha, the representative of modern
   Jericho, is situated some two miles farther to the east. It is
   in a ruinous condition, having been destroyed by the Turks in
   1840. "The soil of the plain," about the middle of which the
   ancient city stood, "is unsurpassed in fertility; there is
   abundance of water for irrigation, and many of the old aqueducts
   are almost perfect; yet nearly the whole plain is waste and
   desolate...The climate of Jericho is exceedingly hot and
   unhealthy. This is accounted for by the depression of the plain,
   which is about 1,200 feet below the level of the sea."
   
     There were three different Jerichos, on three different sites,
   the Jericho of Joshua, the Jericho of Herod, and the Jericho of
   the Crusades. Er-Riha, the modern Jericho, dates from the time
   of the Crusades. Dr. Bliss has found in a hollow scooped out for
   some purpose or other near the foot of the biggest mound above
   the Sultan's Spring specimens of Amorite or pre-Israelitish
   pottery precisely identical with what he had discovered on the
   site of ancient Lachish. He also traced in this place for a
   short distance a mud brick wall in situ, which he supposes to be
   the very wall that fell before the trumpets of Joshua. The wall
   is not far from the foot of the great precipice of Quarantania
   and its numerous caverns, and the spies of Joshua could easily
   have fled from the city and been speedily hidden in these
   fastnesses.

	

	Jericho, his moon; his month; his sweet smell

	

	Jericho, AR (town, FIPS 35140)
  Location: 35.28591 N, 90.22731 W
  Population (1990): 210 (70 housing units)
  Area: 1.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Jericho, NY (CDP, FIPS 38539)
  Location: 40.78850 N, 73.54186 W
  Population (1990): 13141 (4630 housing units)
  Area: 10.3 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
  Zip code(s): 11753
Jericho, SC
  Zip code(s): 29426
Jericho, VT (village, FIPS 36625)
  Location: 44.50178 N, 72.98696 W
  Population (1990): 1405 (461 housing units)
  Area: 3.6 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

	

	Jericho, AR -- U.S. town in Arkansas
   Population (2000):    184
   Housing Units (2000): 73
   Land area (2000):     0.466306 sq. miles (1.207726 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.466306 sq. miles (1.207726 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            35140
   Located within:       Arkansas (AR), FIPS 05
   Location:             35.286550 N, 90.227498 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):    
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Jericho, AR
    Jericho

	

	Jericho, NY -- U.S. Census Designated Place in New York
   Population (2000):    13045
   Housing Units (2000): 4600
   Land area (2000):     4.058705 sq. miles (10.511998 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    4.058705 sq. miles (10.511998 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            38539
   Located within:       New York (NY), FIPS 36
   Location:             40.786544 N, 73.536757 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     11753
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Jericho, NY
    Jericho

	

	Jericho, VT -- U.S. village in Vermont
   Population (2000):    1457
   Housing Units (2000): 513
   Land area (2000):     1.437597 sq. miles (3.723360 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.002388 sq. miles (0.006184 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    1.439985 sq. miles (3.729544 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            36625
   Located within:       Vermont (VT), FIPS 50
   Location:             44.501827 N, 72.986531 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):    
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Jericho, VT
    Jericho