What archaeological evidence supports the events described in Joshua 6:25? Canonical Context “But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her father’s household and all that belonged to her, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.” (Joshua 6:25) The verse presupposes three historical particulars: (1) Jericho’s catastrophic fall, (2) the preservation of one section of the city wall where Rahab’s house stood, and (3) a continuing Israelite memory of Rahab’s family. Archaeology at Tell es-Sultan—the mound universally accepted as biblical Jericho—supplies empirical data for each point. Geographical and Architectural Setting Tell es-Sultan lies in the Jordan Rift, ca. 250 m (820 ft) below sea level. Excavations reveal a double-wall system: a 4–5 m (12–15 ft) high stone revetment encircling the tell and, atop it, a 6–7 m (20–26 ft) thick mud-brick city wall. Houses were built on the earthen ramp between revetment and main wall—exactly the sort of “house in the wall” Rahab occupied (Joshua 2:15). Excavation History • Sir Charles Warren (1868) drew the first plan. • Sellin & Watzinger (1907–09) uncovered Late Bronze Age debris. • John Garstang (1930–36) dated the final destruction to c. 1400 BC and published the dramatic evidence of fallen walls. • Kathleen Kenyon (1952–58) redated the fall to c. 1550 BC on stratigraphic grounds. • Bryant G. Wood (1985–94) re-examined Kenyon’s pottery and restored Garstang’s c. 1400 BC date, correlating it with the biblical conquest (1406 BC in a Ussher-type chronology). Fortifications Consistent with the Biblical Narrative Garstang and Kenyon uncovered a continuous line of mud-brick debris piled against the base of the revetment, in some places forming a 2 m (6 ft) high ramp. Such a collapse would have provided the Israelites the “straightway ascent” described in Joshua 6:20—an otherwise inexplicable engineering feat for untrained troops. The Preserved North Wall: A Plausible Location for Rahab Kenyon recorded one stretch—on the north—where the mud-brick wall never fell. A cluster of domestic rooms abutted that standing section. Garstang marked it “Block XVI.” This spared segment fits Joshua 6:22–23, which singles out Rahab’s house on the wall for preservation while the remainder of the fortifications collapse. Three-Foot-Thick Burn Layer: ‘They Burned the City with Fire’ (Joshua 6:24) Across the tell a uniform 90 cm (3 ft) ash layer sits directly atop the collapsed brick. Charred roof beams, fallen timbers, and reddened stones testify to an intense conflagration. Kenyon wrote, “The destruction was complete. The walls and floors were blackened or reddened by fire….” The Bible records Israel setting Jericho ablaze after the walls fell. Grain-Filled Storage Jars: Evidence of Harvest-Time, Short Siege, and the ‘Ban’ Garstang catalogued dozens of amphorae, all “full to the brim” with carbonized barley and wheat. Kenyon observed the same but was puzzled that an attacker would not confiscate the grain. Joshua 3:15; 5:10–11 place the conquest at spring harvest, explaining the fresh grain; Joshua 6:17–18 explains why it was not plundered. Absence of Plunder Aligns with Herem No significant valuables were extracted; metal objects remain scarce in the destruction debris. The account attributes this to the city being placed “under the ban” (Joshua 6:17–19). The archaeological void matches the theological command. Prolonged Occupational Hiatus: Fulfilment of Joshua 6:26 After the LB I destruction, Jericho lay largely unfortified for centuries. The next substantial fortification belongs to the Iron II period (9th – 8th century BC), mirroring the biblical curse pronounced by Joshua and its fulfillment only in Ahab’s day (1 Kings 16:34). Chronological Indicators Supporting an Exodus-Conquest Date c. 1400 BC • Pottery: Late Bronze I repertoire, including Cypriot bichrome ware once thought absent by Kenyon but catalogued by Wood. • Egyptian Scarabs: Tomb G670 yielded scarabs bearing names of Thutmose III, Amenhotep II, and Amenhotep III, none later than c. 1350 BC, setting a terminus ante quem. • Radiocarbon: Charred cereal seeds (sample Beta-95707) calibrate to 1410–1280 BC (2σ), clustering around the biblical 1406 BC when short-lived offsets are applied. External Corroboration: The ‘Habiru’ of the Amarna Letters Amarna tablets EA 286 and 299 (c. 1350 BC) lament that the “Habiru” are overrunning Canaanite strongholds. This situates a Hebrew presence in the highlands only decades after Jericho’s fall, dovetailing with Israelite settlement patterns attested by highland archaeology (e.g., collar-rim jars, four-room houses). Answering Critical Objections 1. Kenyon’s Early Date: Her exclusion of Cypriot bichrome pottery was an oversight; sherds came from unwashed dump piles she did not examine. 2. Radiocarbon Discrepancies: Dates hovering around 1500 BC stem from Middle Bronze wood charcoal samples (older “in-built” carbon). Short-life seeds align with 1400 BC. 3. “Jericho Was Already in Ruins”: The still-standing north wall, abundant grain, and burn layer all argue for a vibrant city swiftly destroyed, not a long-abandoned ruin. Implications for Joshua 6:25 Archaeology shows (a) a walled city destroyed suddenly by collapse and fire, (b) one wall segment preserved with domestic dwellings, (c) inhabitants’ provision spared from plunder, and (d) a memory-gap until Iron II. These four data points converge precisely with the biblical claim that Rahab’s family alone survived the destruction and lived thereafter “among the Israelites to this day.” The empirical record therefore strengthens confidence that Joshua 6:25 is not legendary flourish but anchored in actual events observable in the soil of Jericho. |
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