The Walls of Jericho Fall Down 

Gustave Doré made this engraving of "The Walls of Jericho Fall Down" in the 19th century. Doré illustrates a well-known story from the Book of Joshua, depicting the Israelite army marching around the city of Jericho for seven days, after which the city walls miraculously collapsed. Doré's print was made in France. Nineteenth-century European audiences were very interested in biblical narratives and often understood them as historical events. Doré's image participates in this cultural context, where religious stories are seen as part of a broader historical and moral framework. The artist uses dramatic visual codes, such as the collapsing walls and the chaos among the defenders, to emphasize the divine intervention. Understanding this artwork requires looking at its historical context: the religious beliefs, the cultural values, and the institutional support for producing and distributing such images. These are all parts of how the artwork creates meaning.