In northern Galilee of the state of Israel lies a legendary site, the world's most contested piece of territory. Bible prophecy tells us it will once again be a focal point for a battle almost beyond comprehension.
by Darris McNeely
Rising out of the pastoral Jezreel Valley is a hill containing the remains of a city whose foundations go back several millennia. On a modern map, it is called Tel Megiddo. A "tel" is a geographic feature, a hill rising out of a flat plain, marking the site of a city dating from ancient times. Megiddo is a site that has seen more battles than any other location on earth. It will be the staging ground for the final battle prior to Christ's return.
In Revelation 16:16 we read where the armies of the kings of the east are "gathered...together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon." This is the only place in Scripture where the term Armageddon is mentioned. The word Armageddon comes from the Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Har Megiddo (the Hebrew prefix Har means "hill" or "mountain").
Today the site of Megiddo is one of the crown jewels of Israeli archaeology. Remains of more than 25 cities, representing every period of ancient history in the land of Israel, have been uncovered. Understanding why the armies of the world will gather here requires that we understand the history of the site and its importance in the ancient world.
Megiddo controlled a narrow strategic stretch of road called the Via Maris, "the Way of the Sea," a major international highway in the ancient world. This road stretched from Egypt in the south to Babylon in Mesopotamia, linking the major empires and trade routes of the day. Megiddo's position on this highway made it a prime mercantile city. Whoever controlled Megiddo controlled access to trade all along this road. Megiddo was a choke point, therefore, for the empires of the ancient world. Control of Megiddo was crucial to controlling any regional empire.
