It seems that, when the walls of Jericho fell, and the open and passable city was taken,
[Figure — two concentric circles about a central point, divided by a vertical diameter. Center (small circle): “HIERICHO INSTAR PVNCTI” — “Jericho, [the size] of a point.” Middle ring: “HIERICHO IN LATITVDINE ET LONGITVDINE [SVA]” — “Jericho in its breadth and length.” Outer circle: “PERIPHERIA CIRCVLATIONVM” — “the perimeter of the circlings” (the Israelites’ circuit-path).]
…the hour was midday — not taking [the noon] itself most accurately, but in the common way, so that it be understood [as] around the time of midday. And this can be gathered from these [considerations]. Jericho was distant — as was said in the previous question — from the camp of the Israelites, by ten stadia; and when these [Israelites] approached from here to it, so as to be beyond the range of all missiles, they were distant [from the wall] by some space. But let us make [suppose] this space to have been half a stadium. For what less could be assumed? Let there now be adjoined the rule of the Geometers concerning the comparison of the diameter and the periphery, which our Clavius set forth in these verses, on the 1st chapter of the Sphere:
“Let the circumference of the circle be multiplied by seven; then, the product being divided by twenty-two, hence the number, [as] quotient, that is named, is the diameter. If you multiply the diameter by twenty-two, and divide the number by seven, the number which comes forth from there gives you, as quotient, the circumference of the circle.”
Hence, therefore, I reason thus. From the periphery, which the Israelites trace by going around Jericho, [it is] half a stadium up to the city itself. Therefore, from one part of that same periphery up to the other, opposite [part], it is [one] stadium — as it were the diameter of the circle. Therefore the whole periphery is more than three stadia. Therefore, around the city, the daily circuit of the six days was of three stadia and more. Therefore the seven circuits of the seventh day were more than 21 stadia. And these [things] are still said thus, as if the city were like a point, and had no length or breadth at all. But if we grant it some [extent] — as it certainly had no very small [amount] — there will here too be no small addition of stadia. Nay, plainly St. Epiphanius (heresy 66): “The measure,” he says, “of the circuit of Jericho exceeds twenty stadia.” And since, in the circuits, not running and haste, but [a solemn] pace and gravity was used, it appears that, from the morning time, when they went out of the camp, to the end of all the circuits, many hours flowed between; and that [the city] was circumambulated up to midday itself, or even beyond. See [the figure].
(col. 785)