Jericho

 As we pass out of Deuteronomy, we leave the Pentateuch and enter what is known as the "Historical" books of the Old Testament which continue through Nehemiah.  It is important to note, however, that they were not written as a history in the way that modern people think of a history, scrupulously researched and attempting to be nonbias.  They are still a religious text, written to teach religious principles.  The question modern scholars have is how much of the Historical books are actually historical in the modern sence.  I had wondered this question about the story of the capture of Jericho.  Did the Isrealites really circle the walled city for six days and then on the seventh day all shout and blow horns until and the walls of the city fell down?  Or is this some kind of symbol or type?  In one of the podcasts I listened to this week they mentioned that, according to archaeology, Jericho was not a walled city during the time that the Israelites entered Canaan. Other sources I read said that Jericho is considered by some to have been the first ever walled city, having been built about 8000 BCE, but by the time the Israelites arrived, around 1300 BCE it had fallen into ruin. All the scientific sources I read said there was no thriving walled city at Jericho at the time of Joshua.  Could they all be wrong? Certainly, but I think the archeological evidence invites us to ask ourselves, if the story is not based on history, why was it written as it was and what symbolic meaning might it hold. 

First of all, why Jericho?  It was located in one of the lowest spots, geographically, of the area that was to be conquered by the Israelites. They were starting at the bottom and working their way up.  Also, by the time that the story of Joshua was edited and cannonized by Josiah, it was probably again a thriving and impressive walled city.  It would have represented to that group a significant first hurtle for the success of the Israelitish conquest. 

The first we hear of Jericho is when Joshua sends in two spies who are sheltered by Rahab, a prostitute, of the city.  In return for her help, the spies promise to save her and her family when the rest of the city is destroyed.  This story is significant because Rahab is later listed as an ancestor to King David.  Since Jewish identity is passed through the mother, there needed to be a story the explained how and when this Canaanite woman converted to Yaweh worship.  

The instructions given to Joshua about how the city was to be breached is full of symbolism.  The army was given very exact instructions on what they were to do.  The whole process was steeped in covenental symbolism.  They carried the Ark of the Covenant, which represented the throne of God, before them. They circled the city seven times.  In the Pentateuch the number seven is connected to the creation of the world, and to covenant making.  In Exodus 20:8 the Lord tells his people "but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." By circling the city seven times the people are reminded both that the LORD is the god who created everything, and that He was the one who would be doing the work that they were not supposted to do, i.e. bringing the walls of the city down.  The whole story gives the message that Israel will only prevail if they carefully follow the commandments of the Lord and trust him to fight their battles for them.
This interprestion is reinforced when you consider the next story in the narrative.  In Chapter  8 of Joshua, the Israelites, flush with their victory in Jericho, go to invade the city of Ai.  They are surprised when they are easily defeated, and 32 warriors killed.  Joshua inquires of the Lord why they lost the battle, and the Lord tells Joshua that somebody disobeyed the command to turn over all the booty from Jericho, and this disobedience was the cause of the loss in Ai.  Joshua does a careful search and finds the man who has horded booty from Jericho and has him executed by stoning.  Once Israel is free from the "abomination" of the horded booty, they are able to return to Ai and conquer.  The story of the battle of the city of Ai stands as a foil to the story of the Battle of Jericho.  In Jericho, they do everything right and they win a battle with little effort of their own.  In the battle of Ai, they do everything wrong at first, and lose a battle they should have been able to win.  When they repent and rid the army of the one who was disobedient, they are able to be victorious once more. 
If you think of this "History" as part of the religious works commisioned by Josiah during and shortly after the Babylonian captivity, you can see that Josiah is including (or maybe manufacturing) these two stories to teach his people what he considered a valuable lesson.  The only way they could reclaim their homeland (i.e. the promised land) was to be as obedient as Joshua's army was at Jericho, and rely on the Lord to fight their battles.