Fall of Jericho
1406 BC
📂 BIBLICAL
📖 About This Event
The Fall of Jericho is one of the most extraordinary military episodes in all of Scripture. Rather than a conventional siege or battle, God commanded Joshua to march around the city once a day for six days, with seven priests blowing trumpets of ram's horns before the Ark of the Covenant. On the seventh day, the Israelites marched around the city seven times, and when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua commanded the people to shout. The walls of Jericho fell down flat, and the Israelites charged straight into the city and took it (Joshua 6).
The only survivor was Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute who had hidden the Israelite spies and helped them escape. Rahab and her family were spared because of her faith and her act of hospitality. She would later become an ancestor of King David and, remarkably, an ancestor of Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31). Rahab's confession of faith—'The Lord your God, he is God in heaven above and on earth beneath' (Joshua 2:11)—is one of the clearest statements of monotheism in the Old Testament.
The Catholic Church sees in the fall of Jericho the power of God to accomplish what seems humanly impossible. Faith, obedience, and trust in God's commands are the keys to victory. Rahab's inclusion in the genealogy of Christ demonstrates God's grace extending to the most unexpected people. Key Scripture: Joshua 6; Hebrews 11:30-31; Matthew 1:5; James 2:25; CCC 42-43
📜 Key Facts
Date
1406 BC
Category
Biblical
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