The Battle of Jericho For
more about Joshua, visit the Kids Pages for June
and
July
The time had come for Joshua
to lead the Israelites into battle to conquer the first city
in Canaan, Jericho.
Joshua was more than a little bit nervous. Jericho was
a very well fortified city, with a strong wall surrounding
it. Joshua had his soldiers camp all the way around
it, in an action called
a siege. No one was able to enter or leave the city. Joshua still didn't know how he would conquer
Jericho.
God gave him a plan.
God told Joshua that each day for six days, he should march all
the soldiers around the
city followed by seven priests blowing seven trumpets and the
Ark of the Covenant.
On the first day, the people began to shout as they marched,
but Joshua told them to say nothing until Joshua told them to
shout.
On the seventh day, they assembled and marched around the
city seven times. As they made their seventh trip
around the city, Joshua said it was time shout - and the
people shouted - and the walls of the city collapsed!
The Israelites entered the city and conquered it. They
did no harm to the house where Rahab lived, for she had
helped the Israelite spies when they came into Jericho
earlier. They recognized her house because of the scarlet ribbon
they had told her to put on her
door.
