Jericho Was the Bolt That Locked the Land of Israel

Yalkut Shimoni on Nach 32:2

"And you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the lords of Jericho fought against you" (Joshua 24:11). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said: Jericho was the bolt of the Land of Israel. They said: If Jericho is conquered, immediately the whole land is conquered. Therefore they entered into it.

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