JERICHO.



WHEN the children of Israel crossed the river Jordan, they passed from the east side over to the west side. They first encamped at Gilgal in the plain of Jericho. Gilgal is only five or six miles west of the Jordan.

About two or three miles from Gilgal was a strong city called Jericho. Jericho was surrounded by high walls; but the Lord told Joshua that the city, and its king, and all its mighty men of valor, should be given into his hand. He said that all the men of war among the Israelites should march around the city once a day for six days. The ark of the Lord was to be in the middle of the procession. A part of the men of war were to march before the ark, and the others were to follow it. Seven priests were to go just in front of the ark, and blow upon trumpets of ram's horns.

On the seventh day they were to march around the city seven times. When they had gone around the seventh time, the priests were to give a loud blast on their trumpets; all the people were to shout; and the walls of the city were to fall down flat. Then they were to burn the city, and destroy all its people. The Israelites were forbidden to take any of the spoil for themselves, but all the gold and silver and costly vessels were to be put into the treasury of the Lord.

Joshua commanded the people, and they followed out the plan, which the Lord had given them. On the seventh day when they had passed around seven times, they gave a great shout, and the walls of the city fell down, as the Lord had said. Then the city was burned, and all the people destroyed except Rahab and her family. Before crossing the Jordan, Joshua sent two men to Jericho as spies; but the king found out that they were in the city, and sought after them to kill them. Then Rahab hid them till the gate of the city was shut at night, when she let them down by a cord through a window in the wall, and they escaped. So Joshua commanded that Rahab and all that were in her house should be left alive. 

Read Joshua 2.