Few archaeological sites have generated as much fascination, controversy, and theological debate as Battle of Jericho and the ancient city of Jericho itself.

For believers, Jericho is the city whose walls famously “came tumbling down” after the Israelites marched around them under the leadership of Joshua. For archaeologists, Jericho became one of the most important testing grounds for the relationship between archaeology and biblical history.

The core question sounds simple:

Did archaeologists really find biblical Jericho?

The answer is both yes and no — depending on what exactly is meant.

Archaeologists absolutely discovered the ancient city of Jericho. In fact, Jericho is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements on Earth. But whether the excavated destruction layers match the biblical account from the Book of Joshua remains deeply disputed.

The archaeological mound identified as ancient Jericho is known as Tell es-Sultan. A “tell” is an artificial hill formed by thousands of years of human occupation, destruction, rebuilding, and layering.

Jericho lies near the Jordan River valley, north of the Dead Sea. Its location made it strategically valuable because of:

• access to water from natural springs,
• fertile land,
• trade routes connecting the Levant,
• defensible terrain.

Archaeological evidence shows humans lived there as early as around 9000 BCE, making Jericho potentially one of the earliest urban settlements in human history.

The site contains remains from multiple eras:

• Neolithic settlements,
• Bronze Age fortifications,
• Canaanite occupation,
• later Israelite and Roman periods,
• Byzantine and Islamic layers.

This is important because when people ask whether Jericho was found, the answer is unquestionably yes. The ruins exist. The debate concerns which layer corresponds to the biblical conquest.

The Biblical Story

The main account appears in the Book of Joshua, chapter 6.

According to the narrative:

• The Israelites crossed the Jordan River.
• Jericho was heavily fortified.
• The Israelites marched around the city once daily for six days.
• On the seventh day they marched seven times.
• Priests blew trumpets.
• The walls collapsed.
• The city was burned.

The account specifically describes:

1. collapsing walls,
2. destruction by fire,
3. a rapid conquest.

Those details later became central in archaeological interpretations.

Early Excavations: Searching for Biblical Proof

Charles Warren and the First Investigations

In the 19th century, European explorers became intensely interested in identifying biblical sites. British engineer Charles Warren performed some early surveys around Jericho in the 1860s.

But serious excavation began later.

John Garstang and the “Proof” of Joshua

7

In the 1930s, British archaeologist John Garstang excavated Tell es-Sultan.

Garstang believed he had discovered evidence confirming the biblical account.

He reported:

• collapsed city walls,
• heavy burn layers,
• jars filled with grain,
• signs of sudden destruction.

He dated this destruction to roughly 1400 BCE, which aligned with one traditional biblical chronology for Joshua’s conquest.

This created enormous excitement.

To many Christians and biblical literalists, Garstang’s findings looked like direct archaeological confirmation of the Bible.

His interpretation became widely circulated in apologetics literature throughout the 20th century.