The Neolithic Era began between six to twelve thousands years ago, when our ancestors discovered that instead of hunting and gathering, they could live in one place by domesticating plants and animals. The discovery opened the door to a new future for the human species. It began the period of agriculture, metallurgy, and pottery, causing the development of urban life and the growth of the human population. Possibly the first urban settlement was the city of Jericho.1
![Archaeological site of neolithic Jericho, from the air | Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons](https://www.stmuhistorymedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Jericho-archaeological-site-300x183.jpg)
Jericho is the oldest known city, and today it is known as “The City of Palm Trees.” When one drives through the desert near Jericho, one will come to an oasis and to fertile soil. It is located 900 feet below sea level in the northern part of the Dead Sea, one of the lowest points in the world. Even though that Jericho is currently located in a desert, ten thousand years ago the neolithic village of Jericho was able to grab its water from the mountains of Moab and Gilead, which were 2500 feet above sea level and close to the village. The water would go through underground tunnels to the village, which then used the water for what was probably the first irrigation system in history. Also, the fresh water that came from the mountains gave the village’s fertile farm lands ample water for growing grain, feeding domesticated animals like sheep, goats, and dogs, as well as providing water for the palm tree groves. For its day, Jericho became a most prosperous village, and the only such village in the world.2
Jericho was not only the first of its kind, but also the strongest village in the land. Because of its unique location, it had two important routes: one was to the lands east of the city and the other one to the desert behind it, to the Palestinian coast. The village was also notable for its early pre-pottery settlement (8500-7000 BCE), with buildings made of mud brick, and unique oval shaped walls, which surrounded the whole village to protect the five to thirty families that live in it from outsiders. Their houses and buildings seemed to be well developed with rooms and kitchens. The village of Jericho was built on top of a great mound that was about eighty feet high. Archaeologist have found towers as high as twenty five feet in the village, and various fortified walls, (the walls started from five to six feet high and increase over time) because the original village was never destroyed; the people, instead of destroying it by tearing it down, build another city on top of the previous one that was standing.3 Now, people live in Jericho. It is populated by Palestinians today, but it is also a place where archaeologist and tourist go to find out about the history of our past and about the beginning of the Neolithic Era.
- Kathleen M. Kenyon, “Excavations at Jericho,” The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 84, no. 1/2 (1954): 105. ↵
- Kathleen M. Kenyon, “Excavations at Jericho,” The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 84, no. 1/2 (1954): 103-5. ↵
- O. Bar-Yosef, “The Walls of Jericho: An Alternative Interpretation,” Current Anthropology 27, no. 2 (1986): 158. ↵
44 comments
Alexander Manibusan
That’s an interesting site to see- a city on top of a city. I find it interesting that somewhere in history there was this slow transition that led to permanent settlements and civilization and yet to us civilization is the norm. Did people from that time period actually call it Jericho? What does it mean? Anyways, it’s remarkable how these people were the pioneers of civilization.
Damian Jennings
I recalled having a lecture about this very city, the article was very interesting and informative in the sense of establishing a brief background history about the rising and falling of this first city. The idea of how people converted from being nomadic beings into people who settled on the land to cultivate and farm was such a powerful and simple concept that grasped my attention.
Noah Bolhuis
It is always interesting to read about the first peoples in human history, and seeing their failures and successes. This was a time before writing, so the only information that we have from this ear is physical evidence of buildings, pottery and the walls surrounding the “City”. I loved that they were able to find a spot that is so much different than it is today, and use the mountains as a geographical defense as well as a source for water. I found it to be an obvious success back 10000 years ago, especially because the article mentions that people still live in and around this ancient city.
Anna Guaderrama
I thought this was such a cute little article, but it felt a bit short. I feel like it could’ve added more pizazz and highlighted a story within Jericho’s culture and why it’s so important to learn about. But, aside from that I found it very interesting and educational. I feel like for someone reading this that maybe does not know anything about Jericho, it’s a perfect article since it does a great job at hitting the key facts. For example, I never knew it was known as the city of palm trees.
Samuel Stallcup
When hearing about this for the first time last semester, it is really interesting to see what humans were capable of so long ago, and what feats were achieved by these people. I like the pictures you chose, for they show the great size of Jericho and and how the surrounding area may have effected the growth of it, too. Great article!
Peter Coons
It’s always struck me as odd that Jericho is rarely mentioned in texts concerning great ancient cities. You usually hear of the biblical port cities or towns out in the desert that managed to thrive in less than favorable conditions. For being such a bastion of so many first, it’s even more interesting how much of Jericho is still intact and what we can gleam from it’s early existence.
Tyler Sleeter
Great article with lots of information. I knew a little about Jericho from the song, and from history class. I find it fascinating that one city has existed for so long even if it is not exactly in the same place it has always been. I wonder what it must be like to live in a city so old. It is interesting to me that ancient people were able to make the land and water work for them with their limited technology. For them to move water from the mountain to the desert is an incredible feat of engineering.
Thomas Fraire
This Article felt short, I really wanted to learn about the culture and people of Jericho. I really didn’t know much about them. But, I didn’t feel like I read anything that I couldn’t have got from an encyclopedia. I do remember learning about this in Chapter One, and reading this in Church. But, this topic hd a lot of potential I felt like.
Joshua Breard
Jericho being the first history in human history is still active and alive today. I have only been familiar to the one talked about by Joshua and the Wall but the rich history of how the city would flourish during that time is really interesting. This article shed light on a history that in some ways is the roots to our modern day civilization. Great article!
Michelle Falcon
Jericho also known as the city of palm trees, was the home to possibly the first water flowing system. This article was very informative and showed life during this time period for the people of this land that lived there at this time. Its because of cities like Jericho that formed the foundation of the cities we have today. Over all great article thank you for sharing it with us.