Jericho, Walls Of

Walls of Jericho, massive stone walls surrounding an ancient Neolithic settlement in Jericho, built about 8000 bce. These walls, at least 13 feet (4 metres) in height and backed by a watchtower or redoubt some 28 feet tall, were intended to protect the settlement and its water supply from human intruders. Though weapons of the hunt had been in use for centuries, the walls of Jericho represent the earliest technology uncovered by archaeologists that can be ascribed unequivocally to purely military purposes.