Jericho יריחו
Canaan's first city taken by Israel: its walls fell without a siege and the city itself was devoted to God.
Jericho is «the lock of the Land of Israel»: an oasis city commanding the Jordan crossing. Yehoshua sends two spies, hidden by Rachav; her house, marked with a scarlet cord, is spared, and she joins the people.
The capture is a ritual rather than a battle. For six days the nation circles the walls once daily behind the kohanim, the shofarot and the Ark. On the seventh they circle seven times, the horns sound, the people shout, and the wall settles in place. The city is placed under cherem — everything in it devoted to God — and Yehoshua curses whoever rebuilds it. Achan violates the ban, and the easy-looking attack on Ai ends in defeat.
In Achav's day the curse is fulfilled literally when Chiel of Beit El rebuilds the city. Later Jericho is linked to Elisha, who heals its spring.