Jericho,

Jericho, once one of the most flourishing cities of Palestine, two hours' journey westward from the Jordan, and six hours north-east from Jerusalem, in a well-watered and fruitful district, yielding dates, raisins, balsam, and honey, and having rose-gardens. The capture of Jericho by the Israelites on their first entry into Canaan, its destruction, Joshua's curse on the builder, and the rebuilding of it in the reign of Ahab are recorded in Josh. vi.; 1 Kings, xvi. 34. It appears to have been afterwards the seat of a school of prophets (2 Kings, ii. 4, &c.). It suffered during the Babylonian exile (Ezra, ii. 34). The groves of Jericho were given by Antony to Cleopatra, and passed to Herod the Great, who resided in Jericho, beautified it, and died there. It was destroyed in the reign of Vespasian, and again rebuilt under Hadrian. In the time of the crusades it was repeatedly captured, and at last completely destroyed. The place is now a shapeless ruin, with a miserable village, Rihâ or Arihâ, and excavations into the green mounds have only disclosed sun-dried bricks, of which it has been thought the walls of the city may have been built.