Tel Jericho

Some 2.5km/1.5mi northwest of Jericho's central square, opposite Elisha's Spring (also known as the Sultan's Spring, Ain es-Sultan), is the tell which marks the site of ancient Jericho. Archeological investigation of the site began in 1860, but at first was unrewarding (in his test dig Charles Warren just missed a stone tower). In 1906-07 Sellin and Watzinger continued the work, but no major successes were achieved until the British excavations of 1930-31. The thorough investigations of Kathleen Kenyon in the 1950s marked an important step forward.

On the tell of Jericho, standing 21m/69ft high and covering an area of 40,000sq.m/44,000sq.yd, Kathleen Kenyon identified 23 occupation levels. The oldest traces of human settlement date from around 8000 B.C. To the ordinary visitor the remains of this early period in human history will not appear particularly sensational. The most noticeable feature is the broad trench which the archaeologists cut through the hill in order to investigate the various occupation levels down to undisturbed soil. In the trench can be seen remains of the Neolithic town of around 7000 B.C., consisting of a section of the town wall and the 9m/30ft high round tower built against it. On the east side can be seen the entrance leading to the 22 steps of a spiral staircase and an opening higher up.

To the north of this Kathleen Kenyon found a shrine of the Mesolithic nomads, dating from about 8000 B.C.