Megiddo is a tell (an artificial hill/mound indicating centuries of buried civilization), and a UNESCO heritage site. It is also referenced in Revelations as the site of Armageddon. The site has been under excavation for more than a century, and artifacts from the Neolithic period, Bronze Age, and the Iron Age have been discovered, as well as one of the oldest complete sacrificial altars in Israel. More recently, Lord Allenby fought the Ottomans here in WWI.
Had we toured it on our own, we would have missed out on some really incredible information. We were quite honored to have Matt guide us while Margaret wrangled Atticus and Liam so Geoff and I could pay attention. From their excavation website (which I strongly recommend exploring),
"Megiddo is the jewel in the crown of biblical archaeology. Strategically perched above the most important land route in the ancient Near East, the city dominated international traffic for over 6,000 years — from ca. 7,000 B.C.E. through to biblical times."
Old rock walls
Even older rock walls
a trough
what Megiddo probably looked like
The palm trees are a result of archeological workers
from earlier digs dropping dates from their lunches.
In this photo you can see rock lines in the pile of dirt
from centuries' worth of walls.
Atticus and Liam playing at the top of the tell
And playing on the Roman chariot
(which is erected near the stables as Megiddo was a chariot garrison for the Romans)
After the tour, Matt and Margaret invited us all back to their home for lunch, where Matt made Mexican and offered microbrew beer! We had a great time visiting and the boys enjoyed playing. It was a lovely way to end our weekend in the green, green north of Israel.
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