Jericho Produce 3

Jericho was an oasis in a desert-like environment. The Benjamin Desert is directly west of Jericho. The Judean Wilderness begins just to the city’s south, as does the Dead Sea. The road connecting Jericho to Jerusalem is through the wilderness. Travelers rested in Jericho whether they were going up to Jerusalem or coming down from the great city. Jerusalem is 2,500 feet (762 m) above sea level, Jericho is 900 feet (274 m) below sea level, making it the lowest city on earth. Jericho appears in many Old Testament stories. Kings like David knew the city well. In the New Testament era, Herod the Great and Jerusalem’s most powerful priests had “winter homes” in Upper Jericho, close to the entrance of Wadi Qelt. That’s the beginning of the Jericho-Jerusalem road. Jesus visited the city many times. As a boy, he traveled with his family to Jerusalem each year (Luke 2:41), almost certainly by the route that would have taken him through Jericho. He also visited the city often with his disciples, including one visit just a week before he died (Matthew 20:29). It was on this visit when he had lunch with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-9).