Israelis Object as UNESCO Declares Biblical Jericho a 'Palestinian Heritage Site'

Julie Stahl : Sep 19, 2023
CBN News

"On Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, one of the holiest days of the Jewish year, UNESCO passed a resolution recognizing as a Palestinian heritage site, the ancient city of Jericho—and at the same time, erasing all references to the city's ancient Jewish and Biblical history." -Prof. Eugene Kontorovich

(Jerusalem, Israel) — [CBN News] UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has declared ancient Jericho as a "Palestinian Heritage" site, and some say that eradicates the Biblical connection to the city. (Screengrab image: via CBN News)

Considered the "oldest city in the world," Jericho is most commonly known for its Biblical history. The book of Joshua describes how the Children of Israel crossed into the Promised Land and then encircled Jericho for six days, according to the commandment of God. On the seventh day, they circled the city seven times, blew the trumpets (shofars) and the walls came down.

"On Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, one of the holiest days of the Jewish year, UNESCO passed a resolution recognizing as a Palestinian heritage site, the ancient city of Jericho—and at the same time, erasing all references to the city's ancient Jewish and Biblical history," Prof. Eugene Kontorovich at George Mason University Scalia Law School told CBN News.

Israeli Foreign Ministry officials were quoted as saying they "see the decision as another sign of the Palestinians' cynical use of UNESCO and the politicization of the organization."

The Palestinian Authority welcomed the UNESCO decision to recognize Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan as their heritage site.

It's not the first time UNESCO has declared a Biblical site as part of the Palestinian Authority. In 2018, the UN body declared Rachel's Tomb, revered as the burial place of the Biblical wife of Jacob in Bethlehem, and the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives are buried, as "an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian territory." Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

For more on what's behind this decision, Click Here to Watch CBN News' interview with Kontorovich.

Julie Stahl is a correspondent for CBN News in the Middle East.