We'll Huff and We'll Puff and We'll Blow Your House Down!

I've always had an image of the battle of Jericho being pretty epic. The city is surrounded and circled by thousands of Israelites, there is shouting and shofars blowing and then suddenly the entire wall surrounding the city miraculously collapses. Pretty epic story.

Yet I recently reread the account and something struck me as very odd, and it is due to something that happened several chapters earlier.In chapter 2 of the book of Yehoshua (Joshua) two spies are sent out across the Jordan to spy out the land. They come to Jericho and are taken in by a harlot, Rahab, who hides them from the authorities. After which she helps them escape by going out of a window that is on the outer wall of the city, because it says:

She let them down by a rope through the window—for her dwelling was at the outer side of the city wall and she lived in the actual wall. (Joshua 2:15)

So Rahab lives in the wall. Pretty odd, but I guess before the wall collapsed she must have left the building so as not to be killed, right? Wrong. She was given specific instructions by the spies not to leave her house otherwise they would not be responsible for her death if she is killed during the battle:

But the men warned her, “We will be released from this oath which you have made us take [unless,] when we invade the country, you tie this length of crimson cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your family together in your house; and if anyone ventures outside the doors of your house, his blood will be on his head, and we shall be clear. But if a hand is laid on anyone who remains in the house with you, his blood shall be on our heads. And if you disclose this mission of ours, we shall likewise be released from the oath which you made us take.” She replied, “Let it be as you say.”

 
She sent them on their way, and they left; and she tied the crimson cord to the window.  

(Joshua 2:17-21)

So if Rahab didn't leave the house, how did she survive the collapse of the wall in chapter 6:

So the people shouted when the horns were sounded. When the people heard the sound of the horns, the people raised a mighty shout and the wall collapsed ... 

... But Joshua bade the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the harlot’s house and bring out the woman and all that belong to her, as you swore to her.” So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and her mother, her brothers and all that belonged to her—they brought out her whole family and left them outside the camp of Israel.

(Joshua 6:20-23) 

I guess the most intuitive answer must be that only part of the wall collapsed. That makes sense logically, but it sure isn't the epic depiction I had imagined.

What do you think?