(1554)  Sun 22 Jun 97 22:37
By: David Worrell
To: All
Re: jericho
St:
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@EID:5711 22d6b4a0
@MSGID: 1:123/67.7 33ada944
@PID: GED3 2.5
Italian Archaeologists Say Joshua Never Took Jericho
12.57 p.m. EDT (1657 GMT) June 19, 1997

ROME (AP) _ No ash. No rubble. No fallen walls of Jericho.

In fact, two Italian archaeologists said Wednesday, a month-long dig turned up
no evidence to support the biblical story that the ancient West Bank city was
taken over by the Israelite commander Joshua.

According to the Old Testament, Joshua and his troops stormed the city around
1400 B.C. The Bible says the walls of Jericho tumbled down after Joshua's
priests circled them, blowing trumpets, for seven days.

But two University of Rome archaeologists said their dig this spring at
Jericho, 10 miles east of Jerusalem, found no layer of rubble and ash or other
evidence that the city was sacked during the time of Joshua.

As for the walls, Lorenzo Nigro and Nicolo Marchetti believe them to be intact,
based on the section they have excavated.

Observant Jews revere Joshua as Moses' successor who led the Israelites into
the Promised Land, with the battle of Jericho a key moment in the campaign.

The Palestinian envoy to Italy, Nemer Hammad, said he hoped the expedition's
findings would not have negative political repercussions. "History must be
respected," he said.

The dig was the first foreign expedition in the West Bank since Palestinian
self-rule began in 1994.

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