The Holy Land: Megiddo, Israel

"Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon." 

Revelation 16:16

The middle school girl in me comes out when I hear the word "Armageddon." Instantly, I picture the 1998 tear-jerker movie starring the dreamy Ben Affleck alongside Bruce Willis who voluntarily pays the ultimate sacrifice to save Earth from a cataclysmic asteroid. Even hearing the movie's theme song by Aerosmith, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," still gets me choked up to this day! Cheesy, I know. However, the idea of the world ending isn't a Hollywood concept.

Ever since I studied the book of Daniel in college, I've been fascinated by eschatology. This fancy word simply means the study of the end of times. {Homework- Use eschatology in a sentence this week!} I was so excited to be able to visit the place the Bible says the final battle between good and evil will take place. Even if you have zero knowledge of the Bible, I guarantee you're familiar with the term Armageddon. 

 If you guessed that Megiddo is the Hebrew word for Armageddon, you win a gold star! This ancient city has seen the rise and fall of kingdom upon kingdom. In fact, archaeologists have even found evidence of human habitation as far back as the Neolithic period (7-8 century BC). What makes this area of approximately 48 acres so desirable for the more than 20 civilizations which have been uncovered?  I'm glad you asked. Two major factors contribute to why this land was sought after and battled for numerous times: fresh drinking water and fertile soil.

Rewind. Let's figure out where exactly this site is located...

In addition to its rich natural resources, Megiddo was also located on a major international trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia. You can find it mentioned in the Old Testament books: Joshua, Judges, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles and Zechariah. It's kind of a big deal, not to mention its Revelation reference (cited above) specifically stating Megiddo is where it's all going to go down eventually.

So, enough background info! Here are some pictures of our adventures in Meggido:

The Jezreel  Valley.

The reservoir at the entrance to Tel Megiddo, from the Israelite period.

The temple area.

Temple area cont.

Where I imagine the final battle to take place.

Apparently Hubby didn't get the memo that we were supposed to be making our "It's the end of the world" face!

Surrounded by hundreds of acres of beautiful green fields.

Megiddo's gigantic water system developed by Israelite kings to prevent the need of leaving the city for water.

187 scary steps down, down, down.

70-meter long tunnel with a slight slope so the water would flow to the spot it was drawn.

77 steps up and out. The exit was concealed by a very large stone and camouflaged so enemies wouldn't notice it.

Hopefully you enjoyed virtually touring Megiddo with me! Like I said in my Jerusalem post, I strongly encourage you to plan a trip to Israel! I feel so blessed that we were able to spend a week in such a special place! 

Tschüss!