Jericho supposedly is the world's oldest and/or longest and/or fortified inhabited city. Or one of them. In the pre-Neolithic things get a bit fuzzy.

While Els general comment holds (oldest till they find something older), I think there can be little doubt that Jericho belongs on the list, offering ample historical and archaeological remains ranging from pre-Neolithic times to 500 BCE. Humans settled here permanently after the Ice Age had ended, somewhere between 10.000-9.000 BCE. The location had two things going for it. There is a spring, Ein as-Sultan. And the low altitude (at -250m Jericho is the lowest city in the world) meant it was a bit warmer.

The settlement lasted from Epipalaeolithic, the Neolithic to the mid Bronze Age. It was refounded in the Iron Age, but then destroyed by the Babylonians and abandoned under the Persians. The famous Walls of Jericho have both Neolithic remains as well as Bronze Age ones.

When you visit, you will find a field of ruins in the sand, with the massive walls the most notable structure. It definitely could use better efforts at management and preservation, agreeing with Paul, but the time being this won't happen.

As a Bronze Age site, this would be pretty mediocre. As a Neolithic site, this is probably as good as it gets. If it weren't for those Neolithic ruins and the political situation, Jericho would have been better served as an extension to the Biblical Tells.

Getting There

With the war ongoing (end of 2023), I am not sure my comments hold true. So take them with a grain of salt.

At my time of visit (2022), I came from Jerusalem by bus and cab. I took a bus from Sultan Suleiman Station (Damascus Gate) to al-Eizariya (Arab suburb of Jerusalem). There, you can either get a shared cab to Jericho or get a cab for yourself. I opted for the latter and paid 200 NIS round trip and it was worth it. As on the previous day during my visit to Bethlehem, I had a very pleasant conversation with my Palestinian driver, he even invited me for tea as we were running early.

If you consider going by Israeli rental car like Paul did, park your car safely outside Jericho, at a hotel or a gas station. You must not pass the red sign telling you, that Israelis and their cars are not allowed to enter. Rental cars driven by tourists with Israeli number plates have been destroyed in past. Your car is not insured, and you are committing a crime according to Israeli signposts as your car may be turned into a bomb or smuggling device. I would not experiment here, even before tensions exploded in 2023.

While You Are There

Hisham's Palace (T) is just to the North of Jericho and should be included in the visit. You can also take the cable car to St George’s Monastery, a Greek-orthodox monastery tucked in a cliff side. If you are travelling by car, you can also go on to the Qumram Caves (T) and the Dead Sea.