What was the size of the biblical city of Jericho?

Answer 1

Within the upper wall was an area of approximately six acres, while the total area of the upper city and fortification system was 50% larger, or about nine acres. Based on the archaeologist's rule of thumb of 200 persons per acre, the population of the upper city would have been about 1,200. However, from excavations carried out by a German team in the first decade of this century, we know that people were also living on the embankment between the upper and lower city walls. In addition, those Canaanites living in surrounding villages would have fled to Jericho for safety. Thus, we can assume that there were several thousand people inside the walls when the Israelites came against the city. (http://biblicalstudies.qldwide.net.au/cs-walls_of_jericho.html)

Answer 2

Within the upper wall was an area of approximately six acres, while the total area of the upper city and fortification system was 50% larger, or about nine acres. Based on the archaeologist's rule of thumb of 200 persons per acre, the population of the upper city would have been about 1,200. However, from excavations carried out by a German team in the first decade of this century, we know that people were also living on the embankment between the upper and lower city walls. In addition, those Canaanites living in surrounding villages would have fled to Jericho for safety. Thus, we can assume that there were several thousand people inside the walls when the Israelites came against the city.

Answer 3

Another answer from our community:

Not every castle or walled city had a moat and drawbridge, as seen in many modern movies and drawings. Also, most of Bible land area, hundreds of miles in all directions is basically dry and mostly level. In other words, no water or mythical alligators for a Biblical city's moat. Your error may be from the fact in the printed bible indicates Jericho was close or after the crossing of the Jordan River; it was not even at the side of the water.

Answer 4

A:Jericho was founded some nine thousand years ago and its size varied according to economic and military circumstances. The city was finally abandoned in ruins around 1550 BCE and remained unoccupied until rebuilt by the Israelites in the ninth century BCE. By the time in which the story of Joshua's conquest is set, there was a small, unwalled village of mudbrick houses on the site of the former city.

Answer 5

In terms of land area, it was not very large. It was comparable to a town in our days. See also:

Evidence of the conquest of Jericho

Archaeology and the Hebrew Bible

Debunking Bible-criticism

Answer 6

At various times in its long history. Jericho was a substantial town, or walled city. However, it was abandoned around 1800 BCE, following a strong earthquake and never rebuilt until the Israelite period. At the time attributed to the biblical conquest, scholars say that there was, at most, a small mud-brick village on the site of the former city, and that there were no defensive walls.

Answer 7

Archaeologists have discovered that there were no walls around the former city of Jericho at the time attributed to Joshua's conquest, because Jericho had been abandoned around 1550 BCE. With no walls and no one living there, there was no need for a moat.

Answer 8

Most cities in those days had hundreds of residents at most, or a few thousand. There were cases of even larger numbers in a city, but they were rare.

Answer 9

10 kilometers