the Muedhen of the Prophet, called the Faithful to prayer after the victory."
Such is the legend, in which we see the fall of Jericho mixed up with the battle of Aijalon, and assigned to Mohammedan heroes instead of to Joshua.
Quite apart from the facilities of a ford, there was a good reason why the Israelites should cross the Jordan where they did. The hill country of Western Palestine is much broken by gorges, which serve not only as torrent beds after the rains, but as passes to the central plateau. The principal pass is by that great gorge, the continuation of the Wady Kelt, which runs to the north of Jericho and up to Ai and Bethel. Joshua intends to ascend by this pass. But there is an obstacle in the way. Just at the foot of the hills—where the springs issue forth and make a beautiful oasis—is the city of Jericho, "walled up to heaven." This is the key to the pass, and it would be bad generalship to rush past the place and leave it in the rear. So Jericho, "the city of palm trees," was besieged and taken.
Modern Jericho is not a city of palm trees, but a very poor village, of mud huts and black tents, standing amid low vineyards. For the convenience of travellers, indeed, an excellent hotel has lately been opened—the "Jordan Hotel"—but the proprietor has been disappointed in his neighbours; the peasantry will not do a good day's work for good wages, he cannot even get fruit and garden stuff from them, and every requisite has to be brought down from Jerusalem.
The site of Jericho has shifted considerably since Scripture times, for the Bible city was near the Sultan's Spring—Elisha's Fountain—at the foot of the pass, the only natural position, whereas the present village is at a distance from the spring. Some Russian excavations in the neighbourhood have brought to light shafts, columns, and lintels,
