Megiddo

Megiddo Aerial View

Mount Megiddo was inhabited since the ancient times and during its long period saw many cultures come and go. It was a site of many battles and conflicts.

 

Location: Route 66, 35 km (22 mi) South- East of Haifa  Map

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Description of Mount Megiddo

 

Mount Megiddo saw many battles and much blood have been spilled here. However the truly epic battle is still to come according to the Book of Revelation, part of the New Testament of the Bible. This first example of religious sci- fi genre was written in Greek by Saint John during his exile. This book describes a future final battle between Good and Evil at the foot  of mount Megiddo or Ar Megiddo in Greek (αρμαγεδδων). This is where we get the word "Armageddon".

 

he mount Megiddo was inhabited since the Chalcolithic period and has approximately 26 levels of settlements dating from 7000 BC to 500 BC. Due to its strategic location proximity of the city saw numerous battles. From the battle with Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III in the 15th century to World War I battle of Megiddo between British and Ottoman armies it saw more bloodshed than any other single location.

 

Water system

Megiddo 

 

History

The hill is formed of 26 layers of ancient settlements with a height of about 60 m. In ancient times, this place occupied an important strategic position. Key trade routes and military routes ran through Megiddo.

The first traces of human presence in Megiddo date back to the 4th millennium BC. In the 3rd millennium BC. on this place already stood a city with a huge wall, which was the most important Egyptian military-political center in Canaan.

According to the Old Testament, it was in this valley that God miraculously saved Israel from the Canaanite king Jabin (Judgment 4), better known as King Hazor, who was conquered by Joshua, the leader of the tribe of Israel (Joshua 12:19). On the banks of the stream Kissona (Kishon), the priests of Baal were executed in the face of the prophet Elijah. King Josiah fell there at the hands of Pharaoh Necho II.

Battle of Megiddo
In the 15th century BC. NS. here the Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III fought against the Canaanite kings.
In the 7th century BC. NS. here Pharaoh Necho II defeated the Jewish king Josiah.
In 1799, Napoleon defeated the troops of the Ottoman Empire.
In 1918, English General Allenby defeated the Ottoman army.

Archeology
Archaeological research of the hill began in 1903 by Gottlieb Schumacher (Germany). The results of the 1920s excavation are on display at the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem. Some of the most interesting finds include traces of huge stables and several buildings from the Iron Age.

In 2005, it was announced that the remains of the oldest church of the Holy Land (late III or early IV century) were found in the vicinity of Megiddo.

In 2010, a jug with many gold ornaments dating back to the 11th century BC was discovered in the ruins of a private house in Tel Megiddo.

In the summer of 2013, an expedition of the archaeologist Yotam Tepper discovered finds near Megiddo, indicating the presence here in the past of the legendary VI Roman legion, nicknamed the "Iron" (Legio VI Ferrata).