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Bible Dictionaries
Jericho
People's Dictionary of the Bible
or Jericho (jĕr'i-kô), city of the moon, or place of fragrance. A city of Benjamin, situated in the valley of the Jordan, on the west side of that river, and north of its entrance into the Dead sea. Joshua 2:1-3; 1 Kings 16:34. It was also called the City of Palm-trees. Deuteronomy 34:3; Judges 1:16. As Jericho was the first city that was taken, on the west of the Jordan, the ban was laid on all the property in it. Joshua burned the city with fire, and pronounced a solemn curse upon the person who, at any succeeding period, should build its walls or set up its gates. Joshua 4:13; which was executed upon Hiel, 533 years afterward. 1 Kings 16:33-34. Previous to this, however, the city had been rebuilt, but not upon its ancient foundations. Judges 3:13; 2 Samuel 10:5; 2 Kings 2:4-5. The more ancient city was probably in the neighborhood of the beautiful fountain, which is apparently the same whose waters Elisha healed. 2 Kings 2:18-22. The later Jericho appears to have occupied the site of the miserable and filthy village, Er-Riha, nearly two miles from the fountain. Ezra 2:34; Nehemiah 3:2; Matthew 19:1; Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:1; Mark 10:46; Mark 10:52; Luke 18:35-43; Luke 19:1-10. Riha lies almost desert; and even that "one solitary palm tree" which Dr. Robinson saw is gone. The inhabitants are a feeble and licentious race. The road between Jerusalem and Jericho still retains its ancient character for scenes of assault and robbery. Luke 10:30.
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Rice, Edwin Wilbur, DD. Entry for 'Jericho'. People's Dictionary of the Bible. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/rpd/j/jericho.html. 1893.
