Megiddo National Park, Tel

ENGLISH Tel Megiddo National Park, Tel. 04-6590316 Tel. Park, National Megiddo Tel

The horizontal tunnel of the water system water the of tunnel horizontal The

passageway was discovered that ran beneath Megiddo’s city wall. wall. city Megiddo’s beneath ran that discovered was passageway

I 3639 I www.parks.org.il 19. The ‘gallery’ – – ‘gallery’ The 19. Southwest of the water system a narrow narrow a system water the of Southwest

taking the path to the left that skirts the water system. water the skirts that left the to path the taking

Adi Greenbaum Adi Production: Before descending into the water system, you can visit the ‘gallery,’ ‘gallery,’ the visit can you system, water the into descending Before

INPA Archive; Israel Antiquities Authority Archive Authority Antiquities Israel Archive; INPA Photographs:

palaces in Assyria, albeit on a smaller scale. smaller a on albeit Assyria, in palaces

Doron Nissim Doron photograph: Cover

Assyrian building techniques. The plan of both structures resembles resembles structures both of plan The techniques. building Assyrian

Shalom Kveller Shalom Map:

the southern one; the elaborate construction of the latter reveals reveals latter the of construction elaborate the one; southern the

Miriam Feinberg Vamosh Feinberg Miriam Translator: Assyrian district. The northern of the two palaces was built before before built was palaces two the of northern The district. Assyrian

Prof. Israel Finkelstein and Prof. David Ussishkin Ussishkin David Prof. and Finkelstein Israel Prof. Consultants: governor during the period when Megiddo was the capital city of an an of city capital the was Megiddo when period the during governor

Inbal Samet Inbal Writer: of palaces – administrative structures that served the Assyrian Assyrian the served that structures administrative – palaces of

palaces – palaces Assyrian The 18. North of the path are remains remains are path the of North Dr. Tsvika Tsuk Tsvika Dr. Editor:

north-south and two running east-west. running two and north-south

personnel.

The excavations revealed an orderly network of streets, two running running two streets, of network orderly an revealed excavations The

park by given or signposted are that instructions all Follow

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path are vestiges of the city built after Assyrian conquest (732 BCE). BCE). (732 conquest Assyrian after built city the of vestiges are path

value.

Please keep the park clean. park the keep Please

– – quarter Assyrian The 17. ■ The structures to the right of the the of right the to structures The a religious and spiritual testimony of outstanding universal universal outstanding of testimony spiritual and religious a

the site. the

6 – The three tells, through their mentions in the Bible, constitute constitute Bible, the in mentions their through tells, three The – 6

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at souvenirs collect not do and antiquities the damage not Do

The reconstructed stable reconstructed The ■ arrative. n biblical the through history

Do not climb structures or walls. or structures climb not Do

4 – The biblical cities exerted a powerful influence on later later on influence powerful a exerted cities biblical The – 4

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the public. the logies. logies. no h c te collection

to open not are that sites enter not do and only trails marked Use

themselves in town planning, fortifications, palaces, and water- and palaces, fortifications, planning, town in themselves

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and the biblical cities of the Iron Age. These cultures manifest manifest cultures These Age. Iron the of cities biblical the and pits and active excavation areas. excavation active and pits

disappeared – that of the Canaanite cities of the Bronze Age Age Bronze the of cities Canaanite the of that – disappeared

open of Beware ongoing. are site the at excavations Archaeological

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3 – The three tells are a testimony to civilizations that have have that civilizations to testimony a are tells three The – 3

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ue o Bhvo a Tl eid Ntoa Park National Megiddo Tel at Behavior of Rules

create a distinctive local style. local distinctive a create

styles that merged Egyptian, Syrian and Aegean influences to to influences Aegean and Syrian Egyptian, merged that styles

routes and alliances with other states, and manifest in building building in manifest and states, other with alliances and routes that an enemy besieging the city would not discover its location. its discover not would city the besieging enemy an that

throughout the ancient Near East, forged through extensive trade trade extensive through forged East, Near ancient the throughout spring was sealed with a massive stone wall, concealed with earth so so earth with concealed wall, stone massive a with sealed was spring

2 – The three tells represent an interchange of human values values human of interchange an represent tells three The – 2

could draw water while standing at the top. The outer entrance to the the to entrance outer The top. the at standing while water draw could ■

so the water would flow to the bottom of the shaft and the inhabitants inhabitants the and shaft the of bottom the to flow would water the so four criteria, as follows: as criteria, four

foot of the mound outside the walls. The tunnel was cut on an incline incline an on cut was tunnel The walls. the outside mound the of foot Heritage List. The biblical mounds were inscribed after having met met having after inscribed were mounds biblical The List. Heritage head to the Assyrian quarter and the Assyrian palaces. Assyrian the and quarter Assyrian the to head

horizontal tunnel extended to the spring, which emerged in a cave at the the at cave a in emerged which spring, the to extended tunnel horizontal (other than Criterion 6) is enough to place a site on the World World the on site a place to enough is 6) Criterion than (other From here, pass the water system, to which you will return later, and and later, return will you which to system, water the pass here, From

dug a gigantic, 36-meter-deep shaft, from which a 70-meter-long 70-meter-long a which from shaft, 36-meter-deep gigantic, a dug

UNESCO determined six criteria for inscription, even one of which which of one even inscription, for criteria six determined UNESCO

paved floors. One of the five stables has been reconstructed. been has stables five the of One floors. paved I 3639 I www.parks.org.il

city without having to exit the walls. To this end, Megiddo’s inhabitants inhabitants Megiddo’s end, this To walls. the exit to having without city

are gates, walls, temples, storehouses, stables and water systems. water and stables storehouses, temples, walls, gates, are

The horses would pass through this hall to side rooms with stone- with rooms side to hall this through pass would horses The

during the period of the Israelite kings, in order to bring water into the the into water bring to order in kings, Israelite the of period the during

of Israel in particular. Among the impressive archaeological vestiges vestiges archaeological impressive the Among particular. in Israel of

Each structure featured a central hall with a thickly plastered floor. floor. plastered thickly a with hall central a featured structure Each

20. The water system – system water The 20.

Megiddo’s huge water system was hewn hewn was system water huge Megiddo’s

peoples of the land of Israel in general, and the history of the people people the of history the and general, in Israel of land the of peoples horses on the troughs, as well as holes, probably to tether animals. animals. tether to probably holes, as well as troughs, the on horses

produced exciting finds that shed light on the history of the various various the of history the on light shed that finds exciting produced pillars flanking troughs. The excavators discovered bite-marks of bite-marks discovered excavators The troughs. flanking pillars

National Park National

pavilion via a path along the foot of the mound. the of foot the along path a via pavilion

archaeological excavations carried out at these mounds have have mounds these at out carried excavations archaeological was divided into three lengthwise units separated by rows of stone stone of rows by separated units lengthwise three into divided was

a car waiting for you there. If not, you can return on foot to the entrance entrance the to foot on return can you not, If there. you for waiting car a

best examples of cities from the time of the Bible. The intensive intensive The Bible. the of time the from cities of examples best training ground, with a square trough in the center. Each structure structure Each center. the in trough square a with ground, training

Megiddo system will exit to a parking lot outside the site. It is preferable to have have to preferable is It site. the outside lot parking a to exit will system

in the Bible, were chosen out of approximately 200 tells as the the as tells 200 approximately of out chosen were Bible, the in It includes five lengthwise structures that opened onto a large a onto opened that structures lengthwise five includes It

steps should now return to the entrance pavilion. Visitors to the water water the to Visitors pavilion. entrance the to return now should steps

universal significance. These mounds, mentioned frequently frequently mentioned mounds, These significance. universal stable complexes dating from the period of the Israelite kings. kings. Israelite the of period the from dating complexes stable

way to end your visit to Megiddo. Visitors who have difficulty with the the with difficulty have who Visitors Megiddo. to visit your end to way

Hazor and Beer Sheva as World Heritage Sites of outstanding outstanding of Sites Heritage World as Sheva Beer and Hazor 6 h suhr sals – stables southern The 16. This is one of Megiddo’s two two Megiddo’s of one is This

exit on the other side. The visit to the water system is a very impressive impressive very a is system water the to visit The side. other the on exit

Organization (UNESCO) inscribed the three biblical tells of Megiddo, Megiddo, of tells biblical three the inscribed (UNESCO) Organization

There are 187 steps down to the water system, and 77 steps up to the the to up steps 77 and system, water the to down steps 187 are There

horses. In 2005, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Cultural and Scientific Educational Nations United the 2005, In

granary was built together with the stables to store fodder for the the for fodder store to stables the with together built was granary others attribute it to the reign of Ahab in the ninth century BCE. BCE. century ninth the in Ahab of reign the to it attribute others

Beer Sheva Beer kings, or perhaps during Assyrian rule. Some scholars believe the the believe scholars Some rule. Assyrian during perhaps or kings, ‘gallery’ to the reign of King Solomon in the tenth century BCE, while while BCE, century tenth the in Solomon King of reign the to ‘gallery’

1,000 tons of wheat. The silo was built by one of the last Israelite Israelite last the of one by built was silo The wheat. of tons 1,000 the stones at the southern observation point. Some scholars date the the date scholars Some point. observation southern the at stones the

Hazor, Megiddo, Tells: Biblical The

approximately 450 cubic meters, which meant it could store about about store could it meant which meters, cubic 450 approximately dressed ashlars, some of which bear large masons’ marks like those on on those like marks masons’ large bear which of some ashlars, dressed

remains of straw identified the structure as a silo. Its volume was was volume Its silo. a as structure the identified straw of remains the construction of the water system. The passage is built of finely finely of built is passage The system. water the of construction the

World Heritage Site Heritage World

pebbles. Kernels of wheat found between the stones along with the the with along stones the between found wheat of Kernels pebbles. This was the secret passage to the spring, outside the city, built before before built city, the outside spring, the to passage secret the was This

Welcome to Megiddo National Park The Canaanite Period In 732 BCE, the Assyrian King Tiglath Pilesar III captured the city and 1939 by the outbreak of World War II. Excavations were renewed only Megiddo flourished as an urban center beginning in the Early made it the capital of an Assyrian district that included the Galilee after the establishment of the State of Israel. Many of the opulent Canaanite period (the Bronze Age), in the late fourth millennium and the northern valleys. At the end of the seventh century, when the buildings seen at Megiddo today were excavated by the members World Heritage Site BCE, as attested by the impressive remains of a monumental Assyrian Empire was in decline, the Egyptian Pharaoh Neco took over of the Chicago expedition. They also built the complex that today Tel Megiddo National Park was officially declared a national park in temple. During the third and second millennia BCE it was a powerful the region. On his orders, King Josiah of Judah was killed at Megiddo (2 serves as the national park’s entrance pavilion, planted the many 1966. In 2005, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Canaanite city-state and thus earned mention in several Egyptian Kings 23:29-30). trees and even built a tennis court, which can still be seen. Organization (UNESCO) inscribed Tel Megiddo as a World Heritage documents. Final Days From 1960 to 1971, Yigael Yadin excavated for five short seasons Site, together with the biblical tells of Hazor and Beer Sheva. During the reign of the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III (the fifteenth at Megiddo on behalf of the Hebrew University’s Institute of Megiddo exited the stage of history after the Israelite period. During century BCE) Megiddo belonged to an alliance of Canaanite cities Archaeology. Since 1992, the excavations at Megiddo have been the Persian period only a few structures stood on the mound, and with that rebelled against Egypt, under the protection of the Kingdom conducted, under the direction of Israel Finkelstein and David the decline of the Persian Empire, these, too, were abandoned. At the of Mitanni. The annals of Thutmose III describe the battle that took Ussishkin, by Tel Aviv University’s Institute of Archaeology. The goal beginning of the third century BCE, the inhabitants of Megiddo moved place in the valley at the foot of Megiddo, in which the Egyptian of the current expedition is to clarify Megiddo’s complex stratigraphy to Kfar ‘Othnai, southwest of Tel Megiddo. Later, the Sixth Roman Legion army defeated the rebels, plundering hundreds of chariots, and chronology. was stationed nearby and the city of Legio was established. thousands of horses and large quantities of grain. The arrival of the Egyptian army through the narrow Arunah Pass (Wadi Ara) was also Megiddo is usually identified as Armageddon of the New Testament Touring Route documented. After the battle, the Egyptians besieged Megiddo for book of Revelation 16:16, the scene of John’s apocalyptic vision of the seven months until they conquered it. battle between the forces of good and evil, to be followed by God’s reign Entrance pavilion on earth. Inspiration for this vision seems to have been drawn from In the entrance pavilion, built in the 1920s, visitors can view a Among the fourteenth-century BCE El-Amarna Letters – a remnant the prophet Zechariah, who describes such a battle in the “valley of 10-minute film on Megiddo’s history and a display about the of a Late Bronze Age international archive discovered in Egypt – were Megiddon” (Zechariah 12:11). excavations. six letters sent by King Biridiya of Megiddo, at that time an Egyptian protectorate, to Pharaoh Akhenaton. In them, Biridiya reports on In 1918, during World War I, another battle took place at Megiddo, led The doorway to the display, which provides explanations about The temple area and the High Place from the Early Bronze Age the taxes he paid to the pharaoh and complains of harassment by by General Edmund Allenby in his efforts to wrest control of the Jezreel Megiddo and its sites, is in the form of an ancient gate, which the king of Shechem. The Canaanite city of Megiddo was destroyed Valley from the Ottoman Turkish forces. Like Thutmose III before him, represents Megiddo in the Cannanite period. One room contains a At 190 dunams (47.5 acres), Tel Megiddo National Park encompasses in the second half of the twelfth century BCE. Allenby marched through the Arunah Pass (Wadi ‘Ara). He took the large model of the mound. The pavilion also houses a shop offering the archaeological mound of Megiddo, which has an area of Turkish soldiers by surprise and won the day. Following the great victory, books, maps and souvenirs, as well as a snack bar and restaurant. about 60 dunams (15 acres) and rises about 60 meters above its The Israelite Period Allenby took the title “Lord Allenby of Megiddo.” surroundings. In addition to the settlement on the upper part of the The books of Joshua and Judges mention Megiddo as one of the 1. Reservoir – The impressive staircase you see here descends archaeological mound, remains of a lower city were found to the Canaanite cities that the tribe of Manasseh was unable to take Identification of the Site and the History from the Israelite period city gate (4) to a plastered pool. The source northeast near the entrance to the site. over (Joshua 17:11-13; Judges 1:27). However, Megiddo is also of Research of the water is still not entirely clear. mentioned in the list of towns whose Canaanite kings Joshua Although the name Megiddo was not preserved in extra-biblical texts, the During the biblical period Megiddo was one of the most important Flanked by four chambers, the defeated (Joshua 12:21). The Bible also describes King Solomon’s biblical citations of the name alongside the names of cities in the Jezreel 2. The Canaanite city gate – cities in the country. Its location allowed it to control the outlet of gate was built during the Late Canaanite period (the Late Bronze building of Megiddo, together with Hazor and Gezer: “And this is Valley helped identify it as one of the archaeological mounds in that the Iron Valley (Wadi Ara) to the Jezreel Valley and the Via Maris (the Age). At that time, the city was not fortified, which meant that the Way of the Sea), an international trade route that linked the ancient the account of the levy which king Solomon raised; to build the house vicinity. The fourteenth-century Jewish traveler Estori Haparchi proposed world’s centers of culture and power – Egypt and Mesopotamia. The of the Lord, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, in his book Kaftor Vaferach that Megiddo be identified at the ruins of the springs and fertile soil at its foot made Megiddo a desirable place and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer” (1 Kings 9:15). Roman army camp Legio, some 800 meters southwest of Tell el-Mutsellim to rule, and therefore it became the arena of frequent battles for In the second half of the tenth century BCE, Pharaoh Shishak led at the entrance to Wadi Ara. Numerous eighteenth-century scholars its control. A possible echo of these battles may be found in the a major military campaign through Canaan (1 Kings 14:25-26); agreed with him. In the mid-nineteenth century, the American Bible biblical Song of Deborah: “The kings came, they fought; then fought Megiddo appears in the list of conquests inscribed on the walls of scholar Edward Robinson was the first to propose that Tell el-Mutesellim the kings of Canaan, in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo...” (Judges the temple in Karnak, Egypt. The fragment discovered of a stela he was in fact Megiddo. 5:19). Christian tradition identifies Megiddo as Armageddon, where erected at Megiddo is additional significant evidence of Shishak’s From 1903 to 1905, Gottlieb Schumacher led the archaeological the great battle of the End of Days will take place between the campaign. expedition at Megiddo under the auspices of the German Society for powers of good and evil (Revelation 16:16). One opinion holds that King Solomon built a large city at Megiddo Oriental Research. He dug a wide north-south trench on the mound, Some of the most impressive archaeological remains in the country with two palaces with ashlar (dressed-stone) walls. According unearthing the remains of a palace and magnificent tombs from the have been unearthed in the extensive excavations that have been to another view, these palaces were built in the ninth century second millennium BCE. taking place here for more than a century. They attest to the city’s BCE by a king of the Israelite dynasty of Omri. During the eighth In 1925, excavations were renewed at Tel Megiddo by the University eminence, particularly during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. century BCE, Israelite Megiddo reached the height of its prosperity. of Chicago’s Institute of Oriental Research, generously supported by Impressive remains from this period include fortifications, stables John Rockefeller. The expedition had planned to expose the entire site, History of the Site and a water system. stratum after stratum, down to bedrock. When they realized that their Flint tools and a few sherds discovered at Megiddo attest to human During this period Megiddo was the arena for the struggle between ambitious plan would take years to complete and after ‘stripping’ the habitation at the site as early as the Neolithic period (the seventh the kings of Judah and Israel. Near Megiddo, the Israelite King Jehu mound of all later remains down to the Assyrian stratum, the excavators and sixth millennia BCE) and in the Chalcolithic period (the fifth and slew King Ahaziah of Judah after Ahaziah fled “by the way of the decided to focus on four main areas. The Chicago excavation, led in their The reservoir at the entrance to Tel Megiddo, from fourth millennia). garden-house” (2 Kings 9:27). turn by Clarence Fisher, P.L.O. Guy and Gordon Loud, was interrupted in the Israelite period II