*** it-2 pp. 34-35 Jericho ***
Firstfruits of Israel’s Conquest. At the end of their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites came to the Plains of Moab. There, opposite Jericho, Moses ascended Mount Nebo and viewed the Promised Land, including Jericho, "the city of the palm trees," and its plain.—Nu 36:13; De 32:49; 34:1-3.
After Moses’ death Joshua sent two spies to Jericho. Concealed by Rahab, they avoided detection and afterward escaped from the city by means of a rope through the window of her house situated atop Jericho’s wall. For three days the two men hid themselves in the nearby mountainous region, after which they forded the Jordan and returned to the Israelite camp.—Jos 2:1-23.
Great must have been the fear of Jericho’s king and its inhabitants as they heard about or witnessed the miraculous damming up of the flooding Jordan, enabling the Israelites to cross on dry ground. Afterward, although the Israelite males underwent circumcision and had to recover from its effects before being in a good position to defend themselves, no one dared to attack them at Gilgal. Unmolested, the Israelites also observed the Passover on the desert plain of Jericho.—Jos 5:1-10.
Later, near Jericho, an angelic prince appeared to Joshua and outlined the procedure for taking the city, which was then tightly shut up on account of the Israelites. Obediently, once a day for six days the Israelite military force went forth, followed by seven priests continually blowing the horns, behind whom were the priests carrying the Ark, and finally the rear guard—all marching around Jericho. But on the seventh day they marched around the city seven times. At the blowing of the horns on the final march around Jericho, the people shouted a great war cry, and the city’s walls began to fall flat.—Jos 5:13–6:20.
The Israelites then rushed into Jericho, devoting its inhabitants and all domestic animals to destruction. But on account of the kindness shown by Rahab in hiding the spies, she and her relatives, safe in her house atop the portion of the wall that had not fallen, were preserved alive. The entire city was burned, only the gold and silver being turned over to Jehovah’s sanctuary. (Jos 6:20-25) However, one Israelite, Achan, stole a gold bar, some silver, and a fine garment and then hid the items under his tent. Thereby he brought death upon himself and his entire family.—Jos 7:20-26.
How exactly did Jericho provoke Israel? Only by living. All Canaanites were to be killed, no surrender, take no prisoners. Jericho should have attacked the Hebrews at Gilgal after they'd had their pee-pees snipped. So, the only Canaanites that survived this unprovoked attack by Israel was Rahab, the whore, and her family. Wow, God is so merciful toward them hookers, she got to be a granny to King David!
So, eventually the Israelites rejected Jehovah, and they rejected him. A total failure... oh, except for Jesus, right? All's well that ends well.
