Jericho is a Palestinian city located near the Jordan River in the West
Bank. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho Governorate. In 2007 it had
a population of 18,346. The city was occupied by Jordan from 1948 to 1967, and
has been held under Israeli occupation since 1967; administrative control was
handed over to the Palestinian Authority in 1994. It is believed to be one of
the oldest inhabited cities in the world.
Jericho is described in the Old Testament as the "City of Palm
Trees." Copious springs in and around the city attracted human habitation
for thousands of years. It is known in