Revelation 16:16

A while back, I traveled to one of the places I have been longing to visit for years: Megiddo, also known by its Greek name as Armageddon.  Armageddon is derived from the Hebrew word "har megiddo", which means Mt. Megiddo; however, on the map Megiddo is properly named Tel Megiddo, for it is not a mountain, but a tel.  A tel is a large hill that is created as the result of generations of civilizations tearing down and rebuilding on the same spot.  Tel Megiddo has a very rich history, and 26 layers of ruins have been excavated; this means that on this one area of land (about 15 acres), various peoples have built there 26 times over a 5,000 year period.  Wow.  Nations that built and resided there include the Canaanites, Egyptians, Israelites, Assyrians, and the Persians.  The tel overlooks the Jezreel Valley, which has been the site of numerous battles, and according to the book of Revelation, will be the site of the last battle.  The battles that have already taken place:

Thutmose III of Egypt fought against Syria in 1468 B.C.; Joshua defeated the king of Megiddo in Joshua 12:21; the prophetess Deborah and Barak defeated Canaanite kings in Judges 5:19; Gideon was victorious over the Midianites in Judges 7; King Saul and his son Jonathan were killed by the Philistines in 1 Samuel 28-31; Ahaziah, the king of Judah, died there in 2 Kings 9:27; King Josiah, another king of Judah, died in battle against Pharoah Neco of Egypt in 2 Kings 23-29-30; 2 Chronicles 35:20-27.

Located in this valley is the site of the ancient city of Jezreel, and much happened there as well.  In 2 Kings 9 beginning in verse 1, Jehu confronts Jezebel, evil wife of King Ahab, and she is thrown out the window and consequently eaten by dogs, as prophesied by the prophet Elijah.  After this, Ahab's 70 sons were executed and their heads were placed in two heaps at the entrance of the city gate.

The bus ride to Tel Megiddo (more specifically to the bus stop) took about 2 hours.  After alighting, we needed to walk an additional ~2 miles along a very narrow shoulder on the road to reach the tel.  Overhead, a crop duster circled several times, and of course many vehicles made use of their horns.  So fun.  Once we paid the entry fee (love student discounts), we made our way up the trail to the top.  The area is well marked with numbered posts at each location, corresponding with the numbers on the map they give you; these numbers then give descriptions of what you are looking at and the time period they are from.  My favorite part was the view of the Jezreel Valley; it didn't take long for my imagination to kick into high gear, imagining the battles that once raged there, and of course the big one that is to come; it is the perfect place for such a battle to take place, as it is flat and you can see for miles.

Sunrise over the mountains of Jordan...from my bedroom...before leaving for Megiddo

This is a staircase that descends from the Israelite period city gate to a pool

Pretty view

City gate dating from the Canaanite period (late Bronze Age; 1500-1000 years before Christ)

My feet on very old ground

Northern stables, attributed to King Ahab or possibly King Jeroboam II

 

Staircase leading down into a grain silo from probably the 8th century B.C.when Jeroboam II was king; kernels of wheat  has been found between the stones

Jezreel Valley

Continuaton of the Jezreel Valley

My backpack takes good pictures...Amanda, me and Mark with the historic battlefield in the background

Ancient temple area, with a circular altar in the center; it measures about 24 feet in diameter, about 5 feet high.  Animal remains from sacrifices have been found here, and most likely it is the site of human sacrifices as well. This altar is about 5500-6000 years old, and is a prime example of what God wanted the Israelites to destroy all throughout the Old Testament.   

Someday...

Southern stables; bite marks from horses have been found; dates to Israelite  period

Closeup of water trough

This raven spotted some food (there were long black worms everywhere)

Raven flying off with his food

Console from Fred Flintstone's car

What Tel Megiddo looks like from the road...very unassuming

Land of Oz straight ahead

    
Once we reached the bottom of the tel, we saw a group of tourists (from Australia).  Their leader yelled out "you're Americans, no?"  Sheepishly we said yes, and he replied with "I told them you must be"...I tried not to take it as an insult...surely I'm not the one who gave us away ;)