Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum > Records

First World War Black and White Photograph of the Mount of Temptation, Jericho

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1918

Overview

A small black and white photograph showing a bleak landscape of rocky terrain and a mountain range. There are a small number of bushes growing, but beyond that the area is bare. The reverse of the image has the proforma printing of part of a postcard and an inscription. The photograph has a small border and is in good condition, although there is some staining on the reverse.

Historical information

Following the capture of Jerusalem, the next stage of the operation was the capture of Jericho. The 1st Light Horse Brigade, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and 60th Division entered Jericho on 21st February. The capture negated any threat to Jerusalem by the Turks. As described in the book Gallipoli to Tripoli: History of the 10th Light Horse Regiment 1914 – 1919 by Browning & Gill, “the Country to the west of Jericho (the Wilderness from Biblical times) is a desolate wasteland of rocky hills, cut by numerous wadis and gorges”. This image seems to reflect these words.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-12-2022.1.80

Item type

Photographs

Themes

War and Conflict > World War 1

Material

Photo Paper

Width

89 mm

Height or length

66 mm

Inscriptions and markings

On the reverse in machine printing “POST / CORRESPONDENCE”, written in pen “Mount of Temptation / near Jericko”.

Contextual information

The Mount of Temptation is a mountain located in Jericho. It is known for being the location where Jesus underwent the temptation from Satan. It is also home to a Greek Orthodox monastery, which stands at the peak of the mountain. Mount of Temptation and its Monastery have been around since 330 AD, making it one of the oldest monasteries in the Holy Land.

Keywords

First World War

10th Light Horse Regiment

Place made

Egypt

Year

1918

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Social or spiritual significance

Comparative significance criteria

Interpretive capacity