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Jericho....
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Tel Es-sultan Old Testement Jericho |
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After Jerusalem,
Jericho is the most excavated site in Israel.
Charles Warren in 1868 sank several shafts but concluded that nothing was to be found (he missed the Neolithic tower by a foot!). Germans Sellin and Watzinger excavated 1907-13, Garstang 1930-36 and Kenyon 1952-58. Since 1997 an Italian-Palestinian
team has been digging, they discovered amazing mosaic with great
conditions standing untill today from the umayyad dynasty period.
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From the excavations of Sellin and Watzinger, archaeologists have recognized the existence of a large revetment wall that supported the slope of the tell in the
Middle Bronze Age. This revetment wall was composed of large Cyclopean stones and supported a mudbrick wall above it. This southern portion of the wall was exposed in 1997.
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The site is 2km north of Jericho and was built by the Omayyad Calif, Hisham Ibn Abdul Malek. The remains are of a magnificent winter palace which was destroyed by an earthquake in 747A.D. shortly after
its great construction. The site contains royal buildings, a mosque, water fountains and spectacular mosaic floors.
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"Jesus entered
Jericho and was passing through it. Now a man named Zacchaeus was there; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to get a look at
Jesus, but being a short man he could not see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, because
Jesus was going to pass that way"
(Luke 19:1-40). Jericho's moderate climate makes it
a favorite winter resort. Jericho's contribution to civilization is
unique. The domestication of plants and animals and the invention of
pottery took place in ancient Jericho 1000 years
before Mesopotamia and
Egypt, while the walls and towers of Jericho preceded the pyramids of
Egypt by 4000 years. Jericho's moderate climate
makes it a favorite winter resort. It is an important agricultural area,
producing fresh fruits, and vegetables year round. Jericho dates, bananas
and citrus fruits are especially famous. Located 36 km east of
Jerusalem, Jericho is on the road to Amman
and at the junction of the highway to Galilee. |
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