Exploring The Meaning Of Jericho: Sweet Fragrance Or Not?

The name Jericho may mean 'City of the Moon' or 'Place of Fragrance'. The name is thought to originate in Hebrew, with researchers offering two different meanings. One theory suggests that Jericho comes from the word 'reah', meaning 'scent' or 'fragrance', while another claims that it is derived from 'yareah', meaning 'moon'.

Jericho is a place of fragrance

The name Jericho may also mean City of the Moon, as the cult of the moon was prevalent in the city. The name is linguistically related to the Hebrew word 'ya•re•ach', meaning 'moon'.

Jericho is a city of palms

Jericho is indeed called Ir-hatamarim, or the City Of Palms, and its district was said to be 'abounding in palms, rose-gardens, balsam, etc'. The city is also referred to as 'the city of palm trees', with date palm trees that have roots stretching towards a source of fresh water that has turned a desert into a garden. Visitors to Jericho can see the perennial spring that supported the city for centuries and provided a splendid irrigation system. The Old Testament titles Jericho as the 'City of Palms', and palm trees are still a common sight in the oasis.

Jericho is a place of the moon

The name Jericho may also mean 'place of fragrance', derived from the Hebrew word 're•ach', meaning 'scent', 'smell', or 'fragrance'. This could be due to the special fragrant trees that were planted in the area. Jericho is a large oasis in the arid desert, and its district was said to be 'abounding in palms, rose-gardens, balsam, etc'.

The Bible gives Jericho two different names, suggesting that the city was known for both moon worship and fragrances. Jericho is also ranked #86005 in terms of the most common surnames in America, appearing 217 times in the 2010 census.

Jericho is a surname

In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname Jericho was Sir William de Jericho, a crusader who participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) and fought alongside King Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Jericho is ranked #86005 in terms of the most common surnames in America. The Jericho surname appeared 217 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Jericho. 84.3% or 183 total occurrences were White. 5.9% or 13 total occurrences were Asian. 4.6% or 10 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin. 2.7% or 6 total occurrences were of two or more races.

Jericho is a Hebrew word

The Bible gives Jericho two different names, suggesting that this city was known for both moon worship and fragrances. Jericho is also called Ir-hatamarim, or the City Of Palms, and its district was 'abounding in palms, rose-gardens, balsam, etc.'

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