Save

Sounds of War: What Brought the Walls of Jericho Down?

In: Greek and Roman Musical Studies
Author:
Andreas Kramarz Legion of Christ College of Humanities 475 Oak Avenue, Cheshire, CT 06410 USA

Search for other papers by Andreas Kramarz in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Download Citation Get Permissions

Access options

Get access to the full article by using one of the access options below.

Institutional Login

Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials

Login via Institution

Purchase

Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

$40.00

Abstract

The destruction of Jericho’s city walls (Joshua 6) is commonly attributed to the blowing of trumpets. After examining similar stories from ancient Greece, the article addresses various imprecisions of this notion. First, the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin versions of the biblical text suggest several possible instruments, but eventually the ram horn (shofar) remains the only reasonable option. Secondly, regarding the actual cause of the walls’ fall, textual analysis, again across languages, reveals a rather complex picture. Further insights are gained from the interpretations of both Jewish and early Christian commentators and contemporary scholarship. After considering a variety of possibilities, ranging from an earthquake to the ‘magic’ number seven, the solution proposed here is rooted in the soteriological hermeneutics of Sacred Scripture as a whole. In a way, none and all of the people’s actions are relevant, because only faith and obedience to God’s commandment elicit the divine ratification of salvation.

Content Metrics

All Time Past 365 days Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 13129 825 56
Full Text Views 83 11 4
PDF Views & Downloads 171 34 8