Jericho

Jericho (pop. 5,300), ancient village in Palestine, north of the Dead Sea. Excavations have suggested that Jericho may be the site of the oldest known human permanent settlement in the world. In the Bible, it was captured from the Canaanites by Joshua. It has periodically been destroyed and rebuilt. In 1967 it was occupied by Israel. After years of negotiations the Palestinians attained some form of autonomy over Jericho district in 1994.

See also: Palestine.