JERICHO’S FALLEN WALLS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17236, 16 April 1930, Page 16

JERICHO’S FALLEN WALLS

COLLAPSE AFTER FIRE DESTROYED IN TIME OF JOSHUA JERUSALEM. March 2. Professor (larstang has furnished the following signed statement: “The main defences of .Jericho of (lie late Bronze Age Pillowed Ihe upper brink of (he city mound. They comprised tuo parallel walls, the outer being 6ft. and the inner 12ft. thick. “The latter follows generally the line ol the, earllicr ‘blue,' or inner wall traced Ly the former excavators, Ncllin and bVliiuiiai.-her. “ I lie investigations ol I he present < spedilion of Sir Charles .Marslon along the west side show t out imious signs of flesh net ion hy condagrat ion. The outer wall is almost, demolished, the remains falling flown the slope. “The inner wall is preserved only at (lie northern end. where ii is 18ft. high. Elsewhere it is mostly found to have fallen with the remains of the superimposed buildings, into Die space between the walls, idling il up. “Traces of the intense (ire arc plain iii see. particularly on Die south-west, including reddened masses ol brick, cracked stones, charred timbers, and ashes. “The houses alongside wine burnt lo the ground and the. roofs fells upon the domes! ie pottery. ''The date of-the destruction is before the close of Die late Bronze Age mentioned above. But a. more precise date, and the solution of numerous oilier questions can only he attained by a. more complete and moUiodical excavation. "There is no trace of general raiertipal inn din ing the first centuries ol Die carfv IVoti Age. after which, however, the city’s life again became active.’ Professor (larstang has now completed Die first stage of Ids investigation and has now definitely located the walls of Die city in the age of Joshua. He has also found that they literally fell Hat. and here and there he has discovered clues which may lead to an answer to the further question of how they fell. That, however, is another story, and Professor Oarsang is- naturally unwilling to anticipate. EVIDENCES OF FIRE. The results now attained confirm the conclusion that the outer stone wall of the city is, on the outside, and at a low level, that of (he middle Bronze Age (2000 to 1600 8.U.). The double brick wall around (he brink oi the mound is proved to he that of late Bronze Age ft6oo to 1200 R tf.) Its foundations. Professor Garsang stated, descend quite naturally into the stratum of the middle Bronze Age. and both the outer and inner walls show graphically the traces of destruction hy lire. This is particularly noticeable on the south and south-west- sides, and suggests that a north-east wind was prevailing during Du* conflagration. Oh these sides the outer wall has been destroyed almost entirely, and has fallen “flat” down th<* slope. The inner wall, besides being breached at many points, has also fallen in a tumbled mass, chiefly outwards. The bricks wore found all reddened and mixed with cliareoal and the debris of ruined houses. One part of the wall only seems to have escaped destruction. namely. that which vises at the north-west, corner, and was mistaken, before the excavation began, for the citadel. The walls of the city were one wif.h tho inner <-ity wall, and were found standing!. 28ft. high.