The Fall of Jericho

Many have heard the biblical story of how the walls came tumbling down at Jericho, but what really happened to the famous walled city and its inhabitants? The Fall of Jericho draws on contemporary archeological findings to verify the Old Testament account in the Book of Joshua describing the siege and sudden destruction of the walled city near the Dead Sea some 3,500 years ago. Now a crumbling mound in the desert, Jericho was once a thriving city served by busy trade routes. In the biblical version, after 40 years of wandering in the desert, the tribes of Moses were sent to settle the land of Canaan. Jericho was the first stop, where God was displeased with the citizenry for worshipping idols. After the Israelites circled the city for seven days, Joshua blew into a ram's horn, causing the walls to fall, and all but one person in Jericho perished. British researcher Charles Warren was the first to excavate the site in 1868; since then, many others have followed, uncovering physical evidence that ties in with parts of the biblical description. Interweaving interviews with archaeologist Dr. Bryant Wood and biblical scholar Dr. Frederick Baltz, The Fall of Jericho also features DVD extras including expanded interviews, discussion questions, and the program's script in PDF format. Recommended. Aud: P. (C. Block)