J??ich? is ??t?n ???????? t? ?s ?n? ?? th? ?l??st inh??it?? citi?s in th? w??l?, ??t it is im???t?nt t? n?t? th?t ??t??minin? th? “?i?st” cit? ?n E??th is ? c?m?l?x ?n? ????t?? t??ic ?m?n? hist??i?ns ?n? ??ch???l??ists.
H?w?v??, J??ich? ???s h?l? ? si?ni?ic?nt ?l?c? in ???l? ????n ??v?l??m?nt.
L?c?t?? in th? m????n-??? W?st B?nk, J??ich? h?s ? ?ich hist??? ??tin? ??ck th??s?n?s ?? ????s. Exc?v?ti?ns ?n? ??ch???l??ic?l ?vi??nc? s????st th?t J??ich? w?s ?i?st s?ttl?? ????n? 10,000 BCE ???in? th? N??lithic ???i??. It w?s sit??t?? in ?n ??sis with ? w?t?? s???c? th?t m??? it ? ??v????l? l?c?ti?n ??? ???l? h?m?n s?ttl?m?nt.
Wh?t m?k?s J??ich? n?t??l? is its t??nsiti?n ???m ? sm?ll vill??? t? ? m??? c?m?l?x ????n c?nt??.
A???n? 8,000 BCE, J??ich? witn?ss?? th? c?nst??cti?n ?? ?n? ?? th? w??l?’s ???li?st kn?wn ????nsiv? w?lls m??? ?? st?n?, ???vi?in? ???t?cti?n ??? its inh??it?nts. This s????sts th? ??v?l??m?nt ?? s?ci?l ????niz?ti?n, c?mm?n?l l????, ?n? th? n??? ??? ????ns?.
J??ich? ?ls? h?? ?th?? si?ni?ic?nt ???t???s, s?ch ?s ? t?w??-lik? st??ct??? kn?wn ?s th? “T?w?? ?? J??ich?” ?? “J??ich? T?w??,” which m?? h?v? s??v?? ?s ? c???m?ni?l ?? ??li?i??s sit?.
Th? cit? th?iv?? ?s ?n ???ic?lt???l ?n? t???in? c?nt??, with ?vi??nc? ?? ??m?stic?t?? c???s ?n? t???? c?nn?cti?ns with ?th?? ???i?ns.
An?th?? ??m??k??l? ??ch???l??ic?l ?isc?v??? in J??ich? is th? ?nci?nt s?ttl?m?nt m??n? kn?wn ?s T?ll ?s-S?lt?n. Exc?v?ti?ns ?t this sit? h?v? ??v??l?? m?lti?l? l????s ?? ?cc???ti?n, ???vi?in? insi?hts int? th? cit?’s hist??? ?n? c?lt???l ch?n??s ?v?? tіm?.
Whil? cl?imin? th? titl? ?? th? “?i?st cit? ?n E??th” is ch?ll?n?in? ??? t? th? ?xist?nc? ?? ?th?? c?nt?m?????? s?ttl?m?nts, J??ich?’s ???l? ????n ???t???s ?n? its si?ni?ic?nc? in th? ?nci?nt N??? E?st m?k? it ? c??ci?l sit? ??? ?n???st?n?in? th? ??v?l??m?nt ?? h?m?n civiliz?ti?n.