“new Jericho” to Be Built South of Jericho

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

A town to be named “New Jericho” is to be built to the south of Jericho. 900 feet below sea level, according to a statement which appeared in the “Falastin,” the official organ of the Arab Executive. The future residents of the town, the paper says, are to obtain from 1 to 3 dunam of land each. The Government is to provide water for the town from the neighboring springs.

Jericho (in Arabic, Eriha) was sacked and destroyed by Joshua, who pronounced a curse on the man who would rebuild it. Nevertheless, it was rebuilt and formed part of the inheritance of Benjamin. After the Captivity, Jericho was an important place and was subsequently given by Mark Antony to Cleopatra, who sold it to Herod the Great, who died there. New Testament Jericho sprang up somewhat to the north of the older town. It has about 1,000 inhabitants and is the lowest town on the earth’s surface (820 feet below sea level). There are no Jews in the whole district.