I-Arīḥā, eyaziwa kakhulu ngokuthi iJeriko, itholakala eWest Bank of Palestine futhi kukholakala ukuthi ingenye yezindawo zokuhlala ezindala kunazo zonke eMhlabeni, esukela cishe kuma-9000 BC. Uphenyo lwemivubukulo luchaze kabanzi umlando wawo omude.
Idolobha linenani elikhulu lemivubukulo, njengoba linikeza ubufakazi bokusungulwa kwezindawo zokuhlala ezihlala unomphela kanye nokuguqukela empucukweni. Izinsalela zabazingeli baseMesolithic kusukela cishe ngo-9000 BC kanye nenzalo yabo ehlala lapho isikhathi eside zatholwa. Cishe ngo-8000 BC, izakhamuzi zakha udonga olukhulu lwamatshe oluzungeza indawo yokuhlala, olwaqiniswa umbhoshongo omkhulu wamatshe.
Le ndawo yokuhlala yayiyikhaya labantu ababalelwa ku-2,000-3,000, okusekela ukusetshenziswa kwegama elithi “idolobha”. Lesi sikhathi sabona ushintsho olusuka endleleni yokuphila yokuzingela luye endaweni yokuhlala ngokugcwele. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwatholakala izinhlobo zikakolweni nebhali ezitshaliwe, okusho ukuthuthuka kwezolimo. Kungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi ukuchelela kwasungulwa ukuze kube nendawo ethe xaxa yokulima. Isiko lokuqala le-Neolithic lasePalestine laliyintuthuko ezenzakalelayo.
Cishe ngo-7000 BC, abahlali baseJeriko balandelwa yiqembu lesibili, laletha isiko elalingakathuthuki izitsha zobumba kodwa okwakusenkathini ye-Neolithic. Lesi sigaba sesibili se-Neolithic saphela cishe ngo-6000 BC futhi eminyakeni eyi-1000 eyalandela, abukho ubufakazi bomsebenzi.
Esikhathini esithile cishe ngo-5000 BC, amathonya avela enyakatho, lapho amadolobhana amaningi ayesungulwe futhi kwasetshenziswa izitsha zobumba, aqala ukubonakala eJeriko. Izakhamuzi zokuqala zaseJeriko ezazisebenzisa izitsha zobumba zazingabantu bakudala uma ziqhathaniswa nabangaphambi kwazo, behlala ezindlini ezicwile futhi cishe bengabelusi. Eminyakeni engu-2000 eyalandela, umsebenzi wawumncane futhi kungenzeka ukuthi wawungavamile.
Ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yesi-4 BC, iJeriko, kanye nalo lonke elasePalestina, laqala kabusha isiko lasemadolobheni. Izindonga zalo zazakhiwe kabusha ngokuphindaphindiwe. Kodwa-ke, cishe ngo-2300 BC, ukuphazamiseka empilweni yasemadolobheni kwenzeka ngenxa yokufika kwama-Amorites ayimizulane. Cishe ngo-1900 BC, bathathelwa indawo amaKhanani. Ubufakazi bezindlu zabo nefenisha etholakala emathuneni bunikeza ukuqonda ngamasiko abo. Lesi yisiko elifanayo ama-Israyeli ahlangana nalo ngenkathi ehlasela iKhanani futhi ekugcineni abamukela.
Ama-Israyeli, eholwa uJoshuwa, ahlasela iJeriko ngemva kokuwela umfula iJordani (Joshuwa 6). Ngemva kokubhujiswa kwayo, ngokulandisa kweBhayibheli, yashiywa kwaze kwaba yilapho uHiyeli waseBethel ehlala khona ngekhulu lesi-9 BC (1 AmaKhosi 16:34). Ngaphezu kwalokho, iJeriko kuyakhulunywa ngalo kwezinye izingxenye zeBhayibheli. UHerode Omkhulu wachitha ubusika bakhe eJeriko futhi washonela khona ngo-4 BC.
Ukumba ngo-1950-51 kwembula i-façade enkulu eduze kwe-Wadi Al-Qilṭ, okungenzeka ukuthi iyingxenye yesigodlo sikaHerode, okubonisa inhlonipho yakhe ngeRoma. Ezinye izinsalela zezakhiwo ezinhle zatholakala kuleyo ndawo, kamuva eyaba isikhungo saseJeriko yamaRoma neTestamente Elisha, cishe ikhilomitha nesigamu eningizimu yedolobha lasendulo. I-Crusader Jericho yayisendaweni eyikhilomitha empumalanga yendawo yeTestamente Elidala, lapho idolobha lesimanje lasungulwa khona.
Lo mbhalo wawungu ebhalwe ekuqaleni nguKathleen Mary Kenyon, owayenguThishanhloko weSt. Hugh's College, University of Oxford kusukela ngo-1962 kuya ku-1973, kanye noMqondisi weBritish School of Archaeology eJerusalema kusukela ngo-1951 kuya ku-1966. Ungumbhali wemisebenzi eminingi, njenge-Archaeology Ezweni Elingcwele futhi Bemba IJeriko.
