Jericho: Oasis of Hope

Jericho has rightfully carved its name in history. As the most ancient city in the world, Jericho narrates the undisputed story of 10,000 years of human life. The city has been bestowed with good fortune to sustain human life for the longest period; characterized by a warm semi-tropical climate, the city teems with life, utilizing its abundant natural resources: water springs, fertile earth, and hospitable people.
The roots of Jericho as an agricultural town can be traced back to the Neolithic Age. Jericho represents the transformation from a mobile society based on hunting and gathering to the first settled society based on the domestication of plants and animals. The new subsistence economy enabled them to build mud houses, and gave way to the creation of pottery and art.
At the beginning of 3000 BC, Jericho emerged as an urban centre. Its material prosperity was manifested in its domestic architecture and the mud-brick city wall that surrounded it. In the Middle Bronze Age, and specifically in the first half of the second millennium BC, Jericho grew as a major urban centre with its elaborate palaces, great fortification system, and cemeteries containing vivid evidence of its material culture.

Even though Jericho is mentioned in biblical sources, the archaeological excavations conducted in Tel Es-Sultan in the old city of Jericho by the British Archaeologist Dr. Kathleen Kenyon have demonstrated a contradiction between the biblical narrative and archaeological evidence. The excavations resulted in the discovery of archaeological ruins that were of no major significance in the site at that time, which indicates that Jericho was still an uninhabited city when its wall fell at the sound of the drums and trumpets. The excavations revealed some ruins belonging to the Iron Age II, however, but it is definite that the city was entirely deserted during the Persian Period.

At the beginning of the third century BC, the city centre of Jericho moved to the location of Telul Abu Alayeq on the edges of Wadi Qilt, about two kilometres south of Tell Es-Sultan. There the City of the Gardens grew, and water from the Jericho spring and Wadi Qilt was brought to it. The Palestinian historian Josephus describes the new emerging city as God’s paradise on Earth. In fact, the end of the Hellenistic Period and the beginning of the Roman Period witnessed remarkable development in agricultural irrigation, represented in the construction of water channels and aqueducts.
Jericho witnessed the emergence of every time period that permeated this land; Christianity flourished on the banks of the River Jordan, and at the end of the Roman Period, the Byzantine city centre moved to the location of contemporary Jericho. During the Byzantium Period, Jericho underwent a period of prosperity, manifested by the intensity of construction of churches, convents, and monasteries.

During the Islamic Period, however, the Umayyads built spectacular architectural monuments like Hisham’s Palace, which combines both artistic and daily-life values. In the Middle Ages, Jericho was known for its different agricultural productions, including the production of sugar from sugar cane. Although the decline of Jericho was visible during the Ottoman Period, the city was rejuvenated at the end of the nineteenth century and paving its way toward the future, fortified by 10,000 years of civilization.

Several factors have contributed to the shaping of the identity of Jericho, including the geographical location of Jericho, which makes it a gateway to the Arab world. Another factor is the diversity of its cultures and the unique social fabric of its inhabitants comprised of city dwellers, farmers, Bedouins and refugees. These factors have contributed to determining the role of modern Jericho as a tourist destination for local and international tourism.

In the 1990s, following the advent of the Palestinian National Authority, Jericho was the first Palestinian city that witnessed the return of thousands of Palestinians to their land. Since then, the Palestinian Authority has taken it upon itself to celebrate this important historical event that puts Jericho and Palestine in the context of human history, and reinforces the concepts of cultural diversity, respect, and acceptance of the other. These concepts that have characterized Palestinian culture for thousands of years highlight the fact that history does not only glorify the past, but also inspires future development and growth. Indeed, the past offers a horizon of hope for a better future.
It is this positioning of Jericho—from ancient times to modern day Palestine—that inspires us to celebrate Jericho and its 10,000 years of human history, culture, and unique location. Jericho builds on a history of 10,000 years of civilization and community building, and it will be development efforts in the Jericho region that help fortify the foundation for a viable state in the future.

The efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of Jericho and enhance its touristic capacity would not have been possible without joint local and international efforts. On behalf of the Steering Committee of the Jericho 10,000 Project, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the governments of Japan, the United States of America, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands, and other countries that have contributed to the success of this huge project. I would like also to thank international organizations, especially UNESCO, for their active participation in preserving and promoting the culture and heritage of Jericho, including the publication of this book in the framework of the Development and Culture Project funded by the Spanish government. Finally, my thanks go to the authors of this book, which humbly tells the great story of Jericho, its people, and its inspirations. My final words of appreciation go to the team who took part in the production of this marvellous book.