Oldest continually inhabited city
- Who
- Jericho
- What
- 11,000+ year(s)
- Where
- Palestine (Jericho,)
- When
- 9000 BC
Archaeologists have discovered settlements in Jericho, part of the Palestinian Territories, that date back to 9000 BC. The city, located near the Jordan River in the West Bank, is today home to approximately 20,000 people. Jericho has been inhabited for more than 11,000 years, and the settlement there in 8000 BC is thought to have been inhabited by between 2,000 to 3,000 people who lived within a stone wall built by the community.
In comparison, London was founded in 43 AD.
The 11,000-year period seems comparatively short when one considers that dinosaurs lived on Earth for some 135 million years.