Tell es-Sultan
Called the ancient Jericho, Tell es-Sultan is one of the oldest cities in the world.
We can visit the ruins of settlements or walls left 10,000 years ago.
The striped pattern of the earthen rampart tells that the village was destroyed and rebuilt again and again.
History of Tell es-Sultan
10000 BC - 9000 BC
Hunters and fishers started to make camp here.
8500 BC - 6000 BC
The New Stone Age: The settlement became a village of about 4 ha and developed in agriculture.
The population in these periods was estimated at about 3,000. The village was surrounded by a 6m wall with an 8m tower.
5800 BC
The village was abandoned and devastated.
3100 BC
A new village was formed again.
2900 BC - 2600 BC
The village developed bigger again. A wall was also constructed.
2300 BC
The village was destroyed.
2100 BC - 2000 BC
The village and the wall were reconstructed.
1550 BC
The village was destroyed several times by different ethnic groups. It fell into ruin until about the 9th century BC.
the 8th century BC
The Assyrians started to settle, and then the Babylonians occupied the land.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid Empire, made a town southern-east of Tell es-Sultan.
After then, the settlement center moved to where Jericho is now.
Elisha’s Fountain
Elisha’s Fountain is located just east side of Tell es-Sultan.
The old testament told that the prophet Elisha purified the water with salt for people.
Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.” And he said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the source of the water, and ocast in the salt there, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I have 3healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’ “ So the water remains phealed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
2 Kings 2:19–22 Biblia.com
The spring still lives and is important life water for Jericho locals.
Cable car
- 8:00-21:00
- +972-2-2321590
- jericho-cablecar.com
Cable cars run between the foot of Tell es-Sultan and the Mount of Temptation.
Since its opening in 1999, it has been popular because of the panorama of the oldest town in the world.
It’s a fun 5 minutes - 1.3 km airwalk!
There are also restaurants and souvenir shops.
Information
- 2km northwest from Jericho center
- 8:00-17:00
- 02-232-1909
- 10 NIS