The Battle of Jericho was a battle fought between the Israelite army of Joshua and the Canaanite king of Jericho in 1406 BC during the Exodus. Believing that God had commanded the Israelites to exterminate the Canaanites and seized the Promised Land for themselves, the Israelites invaded Canaan, camping at Shittim as Joshua sent two spies to reconnoiter Jericho. These spies were taken in by the innkeeper Rahab, who offered her help in exchange for the Israelites sparing the lives of her family. The Israelites agreed, and she marked her house by hanging a red cord out the window. The Israelites proceeded to cross the Jordan and besiege Jericho. According the Bible, God commanded Joshua to march around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day, with the city being attacked by seven priests blowing trumpets as the Ark of the Covenant was carried in front of them and all the people marching behind it. The sound of the shofar horn was said to have sounded a great blow that knocked down Jericho's walls, enabling the Israelites to storm the city and massacre every man, woman, ox, sheep, and donkey in the city apart from Rahab, her parents, brothers, and family. Joshua cursed anybody who rebuilt the fortifications with the deaths of their firstborn and youngest child, and Jericho was left in ruin.
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