For most Jews, the word Armageddon conjures up images of wild non-Jewish ideas, far removed from the Jewish notion of a messianic era of G‑dly awareness and world peace.
While these ideas are entirely not Jewish, the place that gave them their name is very Jewish. In fact, the word is actually a corruption of Har (“Mount”) Megiddo, a mountain that was once significant in Jewish life in the Holy Land and is now an archeological site (tel) that provides many fascinating insights into how our ancestors—and the Canaanites who came before them—lived, both in peace and in war.
In ancient times, Megiddo sat at the intersection of major international trade routes. Its strategic location, along with its proximity to the springs and fertile lands of the Jezreel Valley, led to many battles between local rulers competing for control. The city was destroyed and rebuilt many times over, each time leaving more clues for archeologists about life in the area throughout history.
The site is on a hill overlooking the Jezreel Valley. Described as an archeologist’s dream, it contains over twenty layers of artifacts, some dating back to the dawn of civilization. Today, Tel Megiddo is one of Israel’s national parks, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005.
Archeological Expeditions at Tel Megiddo
For over a century, archeologists have been excavating Tel Megiddo, their work influencing the development of archeology as a discipline.
In the early part of the 19th century, the world of archeology was just taking form, and Megiddo, which was first excavated in 1903, was at the center of the emerging discipline.1 With closely packed layers spanning millennia (there are flintstones, pottery, and a figurine dating back to the earliest civilizations), it was a perfect place for archeologists to learn how to separate between the various layers they unpacked and how to classify their finds.
The earlier excavations were carried out by the University of Chicago’s Institute of Oriental Research, until they were interrupted by WWII. After the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the excavations were renewed, with Israeli archeologists leading the effort, which is still ongoing.
Canaanite Period & Joshua’s Conquest
Megiddo was a powerful Canaanite city-state, mentioned in several Egyptian documents from that time period.
The first military conflict in recorded history took place at the foot of Megiddo in the 15th century BCE, when the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III set out to reconquer Megiddo from an alliance of Canaanite kings who had rebelled against him. The Egyptians won the battle and recorded its details for posterity in the Egyptian chronicles.
Another written record is found in the 14th-century Amarna letters discovered in Egypt, possibly written during the time that the Israelites were enslaved. Six of the letters were sent by King Biridiya of Megiddo to Pharaoh Akhenaton. In the letters, King Biridiya complains about harassment by the king of Shechem and reports on the taxes paid to Egypt.
Joshua’s Conquest
The first mention of Megiddo in Tanach is in the Book of Joshua, listed among the 31 kings whom Joshua defeated.2
Later, Megiddo is listed as part of the territory of the tribe of Manasseh.3 The tribe of Manasseh was unable to expel the Canaanites from Megiddo,4 and they remained there, paying taxes to the tribe of Manasseh,5 through the times of the Judges.6
King Solomon’s Building Project
The next mention of Megiddo in Tanach comes when the Book of Kings describes King Solomon’s reign. Solomon appointed 12 local governors, and Megiddo is listed as one of the jurisdictions.7
The question of what happened to Megiddo between the period of the Judges and the reign of King Solomon has been a subject of debate among archeologists. Some believe that Megiddo was conquered from the Canaanites by King David.8
In any case, once King Solomon took charge of Megiddo, he set out to build it up, along with the cities of Hazor and Gezer.9
The archeological findings from King Solomon’s days in Megiddo are very similar to the findings in Hazor and Gezer. Israeli archeologist Yigael Yadin remarked back in 1961:
[O]wing to the considerable resemblance in the plans of the fortifications and gates of Gezer, Hazor and Megiddo, one can assume that all three systems were erected by one architect, even though small changes were introduced into their respective designs, in order to adapt them to their individual topographies.10
The six-chamber gate at Tel Megiddo is almost identical to the gates of Hazor and Gezer. The gate’s chambers were used as guardrooms. The gate at Tel Megiddo has been reconstructed by park authorities and can now be fully appreciated by visitors.
Visitors can also see the ruins of two palaces. The northern palace was a square building with thick ashlar walls and plastered floors. The southern palace is not as well preserved, but it seems to closely resemble the northern palace.
Some archeologists believe these palaces were also built by King Solomon, while others believe the palaces were constructed later, by Israelite kings.
Kingdom of Israel
After Solomon’s death, his kingdom split in two. Megiddo became part of the Northern Kingdom, the Kingdom of Israel.
Five years after the split, Egyptian Pharaoh Shishak set out on a campaign against Jerusalem, seizing all its treasures.11 The Tanach does not mention if Pharaoh Shishak’s campaign involved the Kingdom of Israel, but archeological evidence shows that Shishak did not stop in Jerusalem. He continued north and left his mark on other cities in the area, among them Megiddo. Archeologists discovered a fragment of a royal inscription from the times of Shishak at Tel Megiddo. Megiddo is also mentioned in the list of cities conquered by Shishak on a temple wall in Karnak, in Upper Egypt.12
Archeological evidence shows that throughout the Israelite monarchy, Megiddo remained an important administrative center. Among the ruins at Tel Megiddo is a large administrative structure with walls made of fieldstones. Though most of the walls did not survive, archeologists found seven proto-ionic capitals nearby which are presumed to have decorated the building. The capitals feature a stylized date palm, typical of Israelite public buildings.
Two large stable complexes discovered at Tel Megiddo were in use during the Israelite period. Archeologists differ on which king built the stables; originally, they were attributed to King Solomon himself, but now researchers believe they were likely built later, perhaps by King Ahab or King Jeroboam II.
Park authorities reconstructed one of the five southern stables, which can now be viewed by visitors.
Near the southern stables is a public granary. Kernels of wheat and remains of straw were found between the stones. Some archeologists believe that the granary was used to store fodder for the horses.
Another Tanachic mention of Megiddo is in the story of Jehu, who was Divinely appointed to rule the Kingdom of Israel. When he arrived at Jezreel to take over the throne, he killed the previous king of Israel, Jehoram. At the time, Ahaziah, the king of Judah, had been visiting Jehoram. When Ahaziah saw that Jehoram had been killed, he attempted to escape. Jehu pursued and wounded him. Ahaziah escaped to Megiddo, where he died.13
Among Jehu’s descendants was Jeroboam II, a powerful king who ruled for 41 years and expanded the territory of the Kingdom of Israel.14
One of the earlier findings at Tel Megiddo, discovered by Schumacher’s expedition in 1904, was a royal seal. The jasper stone seal was inscribed with the image of a lion and the words, “Belongs to Shema, servant of King Jeroboam II.” Archeologists believe that the seal was originally set in a metal frame and attached to a ring.15
Schumacher’s team sent the seal as a gift to Sultan Abdul Hamid in Istanbul. Later, the seal disappeared from Istanbul’s royal palace.16
In the 1980s, a very similar seal was purchased at the Bedouin market in Be’er Sheva. It is slightly smaller than the lost seal but contains the same image and inscription. The latest research confirms the seal’s authenticity and its origin in the vicinity of Megiddo.17
Captured by Assyria
The Kingdom of Israel came to its end when it was captured by Assyria, and Megiddo subsequently became the capital city of an Assyrian district.
Archeologists found that under the Assyrians, Megiddo was redesigned and rebuilt according to a grid plan. The town was divided into rectangular blocks, where new streets with identical residential homes were built.18
The Assyrians also built two new administrative buildings, both centered around spacious courtyards surrounded by rooms on all sides.19
The Assyrians made use of the extensive water system in Megiddo. It is not known when the water system was originally constructed. Parts of the stables also remained in use under the Assyrians.20
King Josiah’s Last Battle
The last time Megiddo appears on the stage of Jewish history is during the reign of King Josiah of Judah. A righteous king, Josiah uprooted idolatry in Judah and destroyed pagan places of worship.21
When Pharaoh Necho of Egypt set out on a campaign against Assyria, Josiah marched with his own army to Megiddo. In Megiddo, Josiah was killed in battle. He was carried back to Jerusalem and buried in the royal tomb, greatly mourned by the people of Judah.22
Later, the prophet Zachariah predicts that the mourning that will one day take place in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning over King Josiah who was killed in Megiddo.23
Armageddon
Owing to its strategic location, military battles continued to take place at Megiddo in post-Biblical times. In 1918, during World War I, British General Edmund Allenby defeated the Ottoman Turkish forces at Megiddo and took control of the Jezreel Valley.
Today, Tel Megiddo is a well-preserved national park, which tells the stories of Megiddo throughout millennia.
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