Page 16 - Holyland Magazine - 2017 Edition

Tel Megiddo.
Photo: Israel Nature and
Parks Authority Archive

Going
Biblical

in the National
Parks of

Northern
Israel

The Israel Nature and Tel Megiddo National Park is home Canaanite gate into an open courtyard with
Parks Authority manages a few basalt steps. The wall on your right is
approximately 25% of to one of Israel’s most important biblical tels part of the king’s palace. The other gate (half
Israel’s total area, including (prehistoric and historic settlement mounds), of it is gone) is believed by some experts to
some of its most beautiful and as of 2005, a UNESCO World Heritage be Solomon’s Gate, built of hewn stones.
parks - 400 nature reserves site, along with the other biblical mounds of Every three tiers (or rows) has a depression
and 100 national parks, to Beer Sheba and Hazor. Get your bearings meant to hold a wooden beam, very similar
be exact. with an explanatory film and exhibition at the to the building technique of the Temple in
Here is a glimpse of five park’s Visitor Center, swing by the obligatory Jerusalem: “three rows of hewn stone and a
delightful parks, filled with souvenir shop and enjoy the restaurant. At Tel row of cedar beams” (1 Kings 6:36).
traces from biblical times. Megiddo, you will learn about this Canaanite
and Israelite city, and as Christians, you will A little further down are the remains of
Dr. Tsvika Tsuk certainly feel the emotional and spiritual another palace, also attributed by some
gravity of the site where Armageddon is scholars to King Solomon, with royal stables
supposed to take place. Let us start at the built on top. Move on to the lookout point,
city’s entrance gates, and move through the

16 Reconstruction of chariot at the The Canaanite gate at

southern stables at Tel Megiddo. Tel Megiddo.
Photo: Danny Abuhatzeira
Photo: Lucy Yosef