What is the significance of the city of Jericho in Joshua 18:21? Geographical and Strategic Significance Jericho lies at 250 m (825 ft) below sea level, making it the lowest city on earth, yet it commands the entrance from the Jordan Valley up to the central hill country. Ancient trade arteries—later called the “Way of the Wilderness” and the “Ascent of Adummim”—funneled traffic through its oasis fed by the perennial spring Ein es-Sultan. Whoever held Jericho controlled access from Transjordan into the heartland of Canaan and a major segment of the north–south ridge route. For Benjamin, a war-scarred but fertile border city provided both agricultural wealth (its citrus and date palms are referenced by Josephus, Antiquities 4.4.4) and military leverage. Historical and Archaeological Evidence Tell es-Sultan, universally identified as Old Testament Jericho, has yielded five lines of data confirming the biblical record. 1. Massive fortification walls of mud-brick on a stone revetment lay toppled outward around the tell; the pattern indicates sudden seismic collapse from above rather than siege undermining, harmonizing with “the wall fell down flat” (Joshua 6:20). 2. Excavation phases labeled City IV by John Garstang (1930s) and later verified by Bryant Wood exhibit a destruction burn layer nearly a meter thick, consistent with Joshua’s command to “burn the city with fire” (6:24). 3. Jars brimming with carbonized grain were discovered sealed beneath collapsed bricks—evidence the siege was brief (Israel marched only seven days) and the harvest had just been taken (6:3; 3:15). Invaders usually plunder food; these stores were left, aligning with the divine ban in which all spoil except precious metals was forfeited to Yahweh. 4. Radiocarbon analysis of the grain and scarab typology dates the destruction to ca. 1406 BC ± 25 yrs, squarely within the early-Exodus chronology (1 Kings 6:1 + Usshur’s 1446 BC Exodus). 5. Fourteen proto-Canaanite inscriptions and Late Bronze pottery forms match the period of Israel’s entry, reinforcing textual consistency. Even Kathleen Kenyon’s 1950s conclusion that City IV fell earlier has been overturned by her own published pottery corpus when re-evaluated; the stratigraphy she assigned to Middle Bronze was miscorrelated. Thus Jericho stands as one of the strongest convergences between field archaeology and the inspired narrative. Jericho as Firstfruits of the Conquest Jericho was the first city subdued after Israel crossed the Jordan at flood stage. In covenant economics the first portion belongs wholly to the LORD (Exodus 23:19). By devoting Jericho to destruction (Hebrew ḥerem) and prohibiting personal gain, Israel offered the city as a tithe of the land. Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute who confessed, “Yahweh your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:11), became the living emblem that God’s purpose extends beyond Israel to the nations; she later appears in the Messianic line (Matthew 1:5) and the “hall of faith” (Hebrews 11:31). Covenantal Lessons Embedded in the City Jericho in Joshua 6–7 frames two moral poles: Rahab’s faith and Achan’s disobedience. Joshua 18:21 silently alludes to both stories by naming the place now incorporated into Benjamin. The inclusion teaches that God’s gifts remain, but covenant blessing within the land requires ongoing fidelity. The pattern also foreshadows the gospel: victory is God’s, reception is by faith, judgment falls on rebellion. Inclusion in Benjamin’s Territory Benjamin occupied a narrow yet crucial corridor anchoring the central ridge. Jericho gave the tribe an eastern outlet to the Jordan for commerce and pilgrimage to Gilgal and the Moabite Plateau (later the route of Elijah and Elisha, 2 Kings 2). Judges 3 describes Ehud’s return from “the idols near Gilgal” to Jericho’s vicinity when he slew Eglon, showing Jericho’s continuing strategic and theological resonance. Under David, the tribe’s proximity to both northern and southern loyalties made it a linchpin in national unity (2 Samuel 19:16). Centuries later, returned exiles from Benjamin again rebuilt Jericho’s walls (Nehemiah 3:2), demonstrating the city’s enduring inclusion in covenant land. Prophetic and Messianic Echoes Jericho’s water source, once barren, was healed by Elisha with a bowl of salt (2 Kings 2:19-22), symbolizing that Yahweh alone rejuvenates creation. Isaiah 35 speaks of deserts blossoming—a motif visually accessible at Jericho’s oasis. By New Testament times the city had become a royal estate, yet Jesus chose that road to enact redemptive signs: opening the eyes of Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) and converting the tax collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). These acts in the “City of the Palm Trees” (Deuteronomy 34:3) anticipate Revelation’s promise of the healing leaves of the tree of life (Revelation 22:2). Christological Fulfillment The walls of Jericho collapsed without conventional warfare. In the same vein, the resurrection of Christ—attested by “over five hundred brothers at once” (1 Corinthians 15:6)—was God’s direct intervention overturning sin’s fortifications. Joshua’s name in Hebrew is Yĕhōshúa‘ (“Yahweh is salvation”); Jesus bears the same name in Greek (Iēsous). The typology is transparent: Joshua leads Israel into temporal rest, while Jesus leads believers into eternal rest (Hebrews 4:8-10). Jericho, therefore, foreshadows the gospel pattern of victory by divine initiative and human faith. Practical and Theological Applications 1. God secures victory; believers respond in obedient faith. 2. Firstfruits belong to the LORD, reminding us that every blessing derives from Him. 3. Rahab reveals that grace extends to all regardless of background; Achan warns that concealed sin jeopardizes community blessing. 4. The permanence of Jericho within Benjamin’s allotment assures us that God’s triumphs become His people’s inheritances. Conclusion Jericho in Joshua 18:21 is more than a geographic note; it is a multilayered memorial of divine power, covenant faithfulness, and redemptive foreshadowing. By listing Jericho first in Benjamin’s towns, Scripture anchors Israel’s inheritance to God’s miraculous victory, sets a pattern for offering firstfruits, and signals a gospel trajectory culminating in the greater Joshua—Jesus Christ—whose resurrection secured eternal conquest over death for all who believe. |
    |