Megiddo is located at approximately 90 km in the north of Jerusalem and at 31 km in the south-west of the current city of Haïfa. This place dominates the Vallée of Jezreel in north. It is an important archaeological site .

Megiddo was built on a hillock known today under the name of Such el-Moutesellim (or Such Megiddo ) and which is drawn up now, following the stacking of many archaeological layers, with almost 21 meters above the plain.

History

The site was inhabited of 7000 with 500 av.JC.

The city of Megiddo was located at a strategic place because it dominated the commercial and military main roads connecting Assyrie, Byblos, Egypt and Arabia. The way enters the Egypt and the Assyrie; named in the Bible Derekh HaYam (Hebrew: דרךהים), or " Road of the mer" it is an important artery of the Roman Empire, the Via Maris.

The city was, with the Bronze Age, important a city-State cananéenne. It was the theater of many decisive battles.

At least three are famous:

• Battle of Megiddo ({{- S|XV|E}}) - between the Egyptian forces with the orders of the Pharaon Thoutmôsis III and a coalition canaanéenne (Source?).

• Battle of Megiddo (609 av. J. - C.) - Where the king Josias found death vis-a-vis the troops of the Pharaon Nékao II ( 2 Kings , 23,29 - 2 Chronicles , 35,22-24)
• Bataille of Megiddo (1918) - between the English of the Commonwealth and Ottoman Empire.

Megiddo is mentioned in Egyptian writings because the Pharaon Thoutmôsis III, made the war at the city into -1478. The battle is described in detail on the wall of its temple in high Egypt.

Today, Megiddo is an important junction on the main roads connecting the center of Israel with low the Galileo and the areas of north.

There be three archaeological excavations with Megiddo. The first excavations fûrent realized between 1903 and 1905 by Gottlieb Schumacher for German Society for Oriental Research. In 1925, off fouillesreprenent them under the crook of Eastern Institute of the University Chicago, financed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. until the Second world war. During these excavations it was discovered that there were 20 levels of dwellings, most of the discoveries are exposed to the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem and to Eastern Institute off the University off Chicago.

Yigael Yadin leads excavations in the years 1960.

Since 1994, The Megiddo Forwarding of the university of Tel Aviv, directed by Israel Finkelstein and David Ussishkin, with an international consortium of universities.

Archeology

The archaeological excavations, Co-directed by Israel Finkelstein, show that Megiddo was strengthened firmly at various periods of its long story. ruins put at the day (see '' Souvenirs of a golden age? '') reveals that at one time, the walls had between 4 and 5 m thickness and that they were then extended to more than 7,50 m; certain parts still rose with more than 3,30 m when they were discovered.

The archeological site includes/understands 25 layers and covers 7.000 years of history. A very didactic Musée presents the site such as it was to be: a fortified town being able to support a very long seat, thanks to an enormous grain silo and with the diversion of a source located at the foot of the strengthened hill. One goes down to more than 60 meters under ground by the tunnel dug in the rock to reach the source which was walled and masked well so that the attackers cannot seize some.

Stables of Megiddo

Large stables were found in Megiddo. First of all allotted without any proof to Solomon by the pioneers of biblical archeology, then with the king Achab by Yigael Yadin (after the discovery of the palate, to see hereafter), they are finally dated from the time of Jéroboam II, between -800 and -750. It seems that they were used with the breeding with large scales of the horses as tanks, marketed in particular in Assyrie where they were highly appreciated.

Two cut stone palates

Two cut stone large palaces were released from a former layer, one being besides under the stable. After allotbeing allotted (always without proof) to Solomon by Yigael Yadin, they are finally after -900 and due to the Omrides, like that of Samarie. The attribution of the palate of Samarie to the king Omri rests on the Assyrian documents, which indicate the kingdom of north under the name of the house of Omri : this expression proves that the capital, Samarie, were built by the king Omri, which dates, at the same time, its palate. The direct link between the palates of Megiddo and that of Samarie was drawn up by Norma Franklin which showed that the three buildings were built by the same stone masons, which goes back the two palates to Megiddo in their turn. Lastly, the study of the esplanade of Jezréel made by David Ussishkin makes it possible to go back a particular style to potteries and, as these same potteries are found in Megiddo, to confirm the dating of the two palates of Megiddo.

The door with triple tortures

The door called to triple tortures of Megiddo, after being allotted (always without proof) to Solomon by Yigael Yadin, was studied closely by David Ussishkin (1980-1990): it is, finally, of the 9th century. Doors with triple tortures of Megiddo, Hazor and Guézer, whose Yigael Yadin thought that the plan had been drawn by an architect of Solomon, in fact were built at various times. That of Ashdod is late, like that of Megiddo, and located in a Philistine area without possible relationship with Solomon. It is not thus possible any more to allot, as Yigael Yadin did it, the doors with triple tortures with Solomon.

The underground hydraulic system

The underground hydraulic system was arranged under Jéroboam II. The gallery of 70 meters bored with 25 meters of depth, which leads to a cave, made it possible to ensure the drinking water supply in the event of seat.

Datings with carbon-14

Datings with the Carbon-14 are in hand. They should manage to slice the various controversies on the dates because the method, which excludes any subjectivity, recently became very precise: to see bibliography at the end of the page the revealed Bible.

Biblical accounts

• Megiddo is a city of biblical times, one of most important of old the Pays of Canaan, before its conquest by the people of Israel, according to the biblical account. In the Bible, it is question of this city for the first time in the list of the 31 kings overcome by Josué ( Josué 12,21) at the time of the conquest of the Promised land.

• the king David widens his borders and the king Solomon strengthened it ( 1. Kings , 9,15).

• the Apocalypse (16,16) of the apostle Jean gives the name d'" Armageddon " הרמגידו, Har-Megiddo, the Megiddo mount, the place or the kings of the ground gather to make the war: " Then the sixth Angel poured its flask on the large river of Euphrate, and the water of this dries up, so that the way of the Kings of towards the rising sun was open. And I live to leave the mouth of the dragon, and the mouth of the animal, and the mouth of the false prophet, three immondes spirits, similar to frogs; Because they are diabolic spirits, making wonders, and which from go away towards the Kings of the ground and the universal world, to assemble them for the combat of this great day of God the Almighty. Here, I come like the small drainage canal; happy is that which takes care, and which keeps its clothing, in order to not go not naked, and that one does not see his shame. And it assembled them with the place which is called in Hebrew Armageddon. "

See too

• Battle of Megiddo

Internal bonds

• Given archaeological on Omri and Omrides
• the revealed Bible
• Given archaeological on the first Jews
• Given archaeological on the Exodus and Braces
• Données archaeological on the conquest of Canaan
• Données archaeological on David and Solomon

External bonds

• Page of the excavations of Megiddo at the University of Tel Aviv
• personal Page of Israel Finkelstein at the University of Tel Aviv

Random links:

9th district | Tuttlingen | Province of Cosenza | Chédigny | François Jaucourt