The Tower of Jericho
From the Neolithic stone tower and its plastered skulls to the layers of later settlement and the biblical traditions that surround them.
Chapters
- 0:07 Foundations of a Neolithic Fortress
- 2:10 Life Inside the Early Settlement
- 3:19 Biblical Jericho in Tradition
- 4:19 Interpreting the Layers
On-screen text
- 0:07 Foundations of a Neolithic Fortress
- 0:14 Foundations of a Neolithic Fortress
- 0:31 Neolithic stone tower, 10 m high Historical record · Kathleen Kenyon, Excavations at Jericho (1952‑1958)
- 0:49 Thick stone wall surrounding tower Historical record · Kathleen Kenyon, Excavations at Jericho (1952‑1958)
- 1:07 Plastered skulls inside tower Historical record · Kathleen Kenyon, Excavations at Jericho (1952‑1958)
- 1:25 Tower built c. 9000 BCE The Institute's interpretation · Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from Jericho, published in Radiocarbon 1970
- 1:43 Impressed‑ware pottery layer Historical record · John Garstang, Jericho Excavations (1930‑1936)
- 2:01 Earthquake may have toppled wall The Institute's interpretation · R. L. Schick, “Jericho: The Collapse of the Neolithic Wall”, Palestine Exploration Quarterly 1992
- 2:10 Life Inside the Early Settlement
- 2:17 Life Inside the Early Settlement
- 2:34 Middle Bronze Age mud‑brick wall Historical record · Avi Gopher, “Jericho in the Middle Bronze Age”, 1995
- 2:52 Fortifications protect crops The Institute's interpretation · Ian Morris, The Archaeology of the Early Levant, 2003
- 3:10 Stone basin collects spring water Historical record · Kathleen Kenyon, Excavations at Jericho (1952‑1958)
- 3:19 Biblical Jericho in Tradition
- 3:26 Biblical Jericho in Tradition
- 3:52 Jannaeus rebuilds Jericho Tradition / scripture · Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 6
- 4:19 Interpreting the Layers
- 4:45 Morris: communal effort protected surplus The Institute's interpretation · Ian Morris, The Archaeology of the Early Levant, 2003
Sources
Historical record: Kathleen Kenyon, Excavations at Jericho (1952‑1958) · John Garstang, Jericho Excavations (1930‑1936) · Avi Gopher, “Jericho in the Middle Bronze Age”, 1995 · Eusebius, Onomasticon, entry for ‘Iericho’ · Dead Sea Scrolls, Cave 4, fragment 4QJer · Amarna Letter EA 382, correspondence with the ruler of ‘Jericho’, ca. 1350 BCE
Tradition / scripture: Book of Joshua, Chapter 6 · Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 6
The Institute's interpretation: Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from Jericho, published in Radiocarbon 1970 · R. L. Schick, “Jericho: The Collapse of the Neolithic Wall”, Palestine Exploration Quarterly 1992 · Ian Morris, The Archaeology of the Early Levant, 2003
Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 219 s of CPU.
Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (22) — the next things to make
- The tower is shown with a broad stone wall curving around it; a few workers carry baskets of stone blocks.
- An archaeologist in a canvas tent brushes away soil from a shallow pit, pulling out a coarse pottery shard.
- An animation shows a seismic wave shaking the stone wall, cracks spreading across its surface.
- An animation shows a seismic wave shaking the stone wall, cracks spreading across its surface.
- Workers channel water from a spring into a stone pool beside the wall, water glistening in the sun.
- Workers channel water from a spring into a stone pool beside the wall, water glistening in the sun.
- A stylized illustration shows Israelites circling a city wall with trumpets, the wall cracking open.
- A stylized illustration shows Israelites circling a city wall with trumpets, the wall cracking open.
- Flames lick the broken walls as figures with torches rush into the city.
- Flames lick the broken walls as figures with torches rush into the city.
- A Roman‑dressed pilgrim stands beside a bubbling spring, pointing to a low mound in the distance.
- A scribe unrolls a papyrus fragment, ancient Hebrew letters spelling “Jericho” are visible.
- A low sunrise illuminates the ancient mound of Jericho, its terraces faint against the horizon.
- Archaeologists brush away dust, revealing distinct soil layers, each marked by different colored sediments and stone fragments.
- A translucent giant spirit looms beside the collapsed wall, embodying the ancient community’s protective guardian.
- A clay tablet with cuneiform marks rests on a wooden table, the inscription glows faintly.
- A simulated tremor shakes a scale model; cracks spread through the wall, suggesting seismic collapse.
- Excavated pits reveal stored barley sheaves, their husks preserved, indicating surplus agriculture.
- The ancient mound rises beside a modern village, the layers of time visible in the terrain’s contours.
- Ceramic shards with geometric patterns are laid out, their designs echoing ancient symbolic language.
- A researcher writes notes, sketching each stratigraphic layer, the page filling with careful diagrams.
- The sunrise crowns the mound, each layer shimmering, suggesting past lives converging into present understanding.