Page 8 - Holyland Magazine - 2009 Edition

Thutmose III brags about his victory in a Later still, in 874-853 BCE, King Ahab
battle against a coalition of Canaanite
cities that rebelled against Egypt's
domination. In an epic battle held in 1478
BCE, the city succumbed and was captured
from the Canaanites after a brilliant tactical walls to a stepped shaft leading deep down
maneuver through the least expected valley
passage, followed by a seven-month-siege
by the Egyptians. The writing on the
temple wall indicates that “the capturing
of Megiddo is the capturing of a thousand
cities.” This victory further established
Egypt’s presence and control of the land
until Joshua conquered the area in the
mid-13th century BCE.
After the conquest by Joshua and settling
of the land by the Israelite tribes, Megiddo
Hanan Isachar
became one of the major cities in the
Manasseh region; however, because it was
so well-fortified, the tribe was unable to
conquer it and it remained an Egyptian
enclave. (Josh 17:11-13; Judge 1:27-28;
I Chr. 7:29)
By the time of Solomon's reign (10th
century BCE), Megiddo had become an
Israelite city and was fortified again. King
Solomon made it his stronghold, along with
Hazor in the upper Jordan Valley and Gezer
on the coastal plain, to ensure his control
of the Via Maris (1 Kgs 9:15-16). Megiddo’s
Solomonic gates, heavily fortified walls and
spacious palaces indicate its importance as
an administrative center.
Following Solomon’s death, the city once
again fell under Egyptian rule after King
Shishak of Egypt destroyed Megiddo, erecting
a stele (monument) on the site to mark his
victory (1 Kgs 14:25-28).
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rebuilt the city in grand style, reconstructing
the gates and introducing the stables as well
as digging the sophisticated water supply
that allowed the water to flow under the city
toward this vital reservoir. Ahab's city stood
for about 150 years, until it fell to Assyrian
invaders in 722-23 BCE. This period, too,
left behind extensive archaeological evidence
of fortifications and control.
Other historical battles occurred at the tel
and in the surrounding valley between armies
marching through the land, as noted in 2
Kgs.23:29-30 when King Josiah is killed by
Pharaoh Neco after he tries to prevent the
The massive walls of the city over looking the
valley of Armageddon will not protect the city
in the future.
Egyptian army from assisting the Assyrians
against the Babylonians.
Megiddo has witnessed battles not only during
ancient and biblical times, but in modern
times too. In 1799, French troops led by
Napoleon Bonaparte put Akko under siege,
sent divisions to the Jezreel Valley and won
a major battle against the advancing Turks.
The British General Edmund Allenby defeated
the Turkish army in 1917 during World War
I at Megiddo, and it was there that the Israeli
army turned back Arab forces that were
threatening Haifa in 1948.
Given all this, it is no surprise that this
legendary site located on the crossroads of
history – one of the world's most contested
pieces of territory – might one day be the
scene of the ultimate battle between darkness
and light, as biblical prophecy attests.
To learn more about Megiddo see:
http://megiddo.tau.ac.il/introduction.html