The Bronze Age Destruction of Jericho, Archaeology, and the Book of Joshua

Archaeological evidence from Tell es-Sultan, identified as ancient Jericho, reveals the city's fiery destruction during the Bronze Age, characterized by collapsed mudbrick walls and burned grain stores. While the exact date of this destruction remains debated, analyses of pottery, Egyptian artifacts, cuneiform tablets, stratigraphy, and radiocarbon dating provide a more precise chronology. Despite disagreements among scholars, the manner of Jericho's fall—marked by widespread fire and abandonment—is widely accepted. This study synthesizes decades of excavations, including those led by John Garstang (1930–1936), Kathleen Kenyon (1952–1958), and recent Italian-Palestinian teams (1997–2017), to clarify the historical context and potential biblical connections.

Kennedy, T. (2023). The Bronze Age Destruction of Jericho, Archaeology, and the Book of Joshua. Religions, 14(6), 796. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14060796