Glimpses of Israel - Megiddo

by Joseph Hunting

Three thousand years ago King Solomon fortified three great cities for the defence of his kingdom. They were Hazor, Gezer and Megiddo.

Of these three the most strategically placed was Megiddo which commanded an important pass guarding the access to the Jezreel Valley. One of the most important highways, known as the Via Maris, entered the Jezreel Valley at Megiddo and the armies of Babylon, Assyria and Egypt, as the great trading caravans, passed this way.

In recent times archaeologists have uncovered the massive gates and foundations built by Solomon that formed part of the fortifications of Megiddo. Apart from the Hebrew culture of the time a Canaanitish High Place, or altar, has been uncovered, also the well that supplied the city with water. Megiddo's water system consisted of shafts and tunnels that reveal the highly developed technical skills employed by the artisans of those days.

Just as the archaeologists have uncovered so much of Megiddo's past history which concurs with the Biblical record of this ancient fortress city, so the Bible unveils frightful future events when the tranquil Jezreel Valley will become a blood-bath of unprecedented proportions at the Battle of Armageddon.

"And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might by prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty ... And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." (Revelation 16:12-14,16)