Expert: Brenda Martin - 11/3/2008

Question
What is the historical background of the battle and why was it really fought?

Answer
According to the Bible account, Judge Barak of Israel was commanded by God to station 10,000 armed men on Mount Tabor. An impressive number? Perhaps. But the 10,000 volunteers were woefully underequipped. “A shield could not be seen, nor a lance.” (Judges 5:8) Not so with the opponent, however. Led by General Sisera, the Canaanite army was equipped with the very latest in military technology: “Nine hundred war chariots with iron scythes.” (Judges 4:3) These gave the Canaanites the edge in speed and maneuverability and also an enormous psychological advantage.

Victory, though, was not to be the fruit of military prowess and equipment. Sisera’s vastly superior troops were lured into the then-dry torrent valley of Kishon. Jehovah gave Barak the signal to descend. Just picture 10,000 men streaming down the mountain into the valley plain! But then, unexpectedly, Jehovah caused a thunderstorm. Wind and rain now lashed into the face of the enemy. The Kishon River valley was turned into a raging torrent, immobilizing Sisera’s war chariots in a sea of mud. Thrown into confusion, Sisera’s troops fled in terror, only to be pursued and executed. “Not as much as one remained.”—Judges, chapters 4 and 5.

No wonder this stunning victory inspired the words: “Thus let all your enemies perish, O Jehovah, and let your lovers be as when the sun goes forth in its mightiness.” (Judges 5:31) Note, however, that word “thus.” It suggested that the battle was prophetic, pointing forward to a greater war in which all enemies of God would perish.

However, the hostile peoples surrounding Israel quickly forgot this disastrous encounter. Only 47 years later a combination of nations under the lead of Midian “gathered together as one and proceeded to . . . camp in the low plain of Jezreel,” the valley extending from Megiddo. (Judges 6:33) These encamped enemies were “as numerous as locusts.” This time, however, the army of Israel was only a small but courageous band of 300 men, standing “all around the camp” under the leadership of Gideon. At a signal, the 300 blew horns, loudly smashed water jars, waved torches, and let out a terrifying war cry: “Jehovah’s sword and Gideon’s!” The Midianites panicked! “Jehovah proceeded to set the sword of each one against the other,” and Gideon’s tiny band completed the rout!—Judges, chapter 7.

We today dare not make the mistake of the Midianites nor shrug off the significance of Megiddo. Some 12 times the Bible speaks of this ancient battle site. Further, Bible prophecy indicates that what took place at Megiddo has serious implications for our day. Let us therefore take a look at what both the Bible and archaeology say about this historic place.

Crossroads of the Ancient World

Megiddo, along with the cities of Hazor and Gezer, once dominated a major military and trade route connecting Asia and Africa. Megiddo lay between the other two cities and hence was the one most strategically located. From all directions natural gateways, mountain passes, and roads converged into her valley plain. “Megiddo,” explains The Geography of the Bible, “stood at a crossroads, in fact at one of the great crossroads of the ancient world.”

Megiddo dominated a large valley plain extending some 20 miles (32 km) along the northeastern side of the Carmel mountain range. During the rainy winter, water descending from the surrounding mountains caused the nearby Kishon River to swell. Thus the region is also called “the torrent valley of Kishon.” (Judges 4:13) Says the book Geography of Israel: “With the winter rains” the soil of the valley “is liable to turn into deep mud. . . . The [K]ishon’s gradient is very small, and the outlet . . . easily blocked; swamps thus spread here.” Sisera and his armies found out just how muddy this plain can get. Nevertheless, in the dry summer, this open plain was an ideal place for chariots to train for war. (Compare Song of Solomon 6:11, 12.) Military troops could also assemble conveniently there.

No wonder, then, that King Solomon took steps to fortify Megiddo: “Now this is the account of those conscripted for forced labor that King Solomon levied to build . . . the wall of Jerusalem and Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer.” (1 Kings 9:15) A 70-foot-high (21 m) mound, overlooking a wide, open valley, now marks the spot where Megiddo once stood. In ancient times, new buildings were often constructed on top of the ruins of old ones. Each level of construction may therefore mark a particular time in history. The archaeologist, starting from the top, digs his way down through layer after layer of history. At least 20 of such layers have been discovered at Megiddo, indicating that the city was rebuilt many times. And how has the Bible helped these patient diggers?

Building city gates was doubtless a vital part of Solomon’s project of fortifying Megiddo, Hazor, and Gezer. Some time ago such gates were discovered at Megiddo. Soon thereafter identically styled gates were found at Hazor. So, taking a clue from the Bible, archaeologists also began searching at Gezer. Not surprisingly, the same style gates were found there too. The significance for Bible students? A well-known archaeologist, Professor Yohanan Aharoni, states:

“In the excavations conducted at the three places, gates identical in plan were discovered in strata from the tenth century B.C.E. . . . Gates like these, with three guardrooms and four sets of piers on each side of the passageway, have been discovered thus far only in two other places. . . . Therefore, there is virtually complete agreement among scholars that the gates of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer with their triple chambers belong to the reign of Solomon.”

Dr. Yigael Yadin similarly concludes: “The discovery of Solomon’s fortifications at Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer is an instructive example of how important and practical a guide is the Bible to archaeologists.”

A Decisive Battleground

In view of Megiddo’s strategic location, it quite understandably came to be linked with the idea of a battleground early in history. Actually, the ancient Hebrew word for “Megiddo” is said to mean “rendezvous, or, assembly of troops.” Wrote Professor Aharoni:

“Megiddo was a fortified city of major importance despite the fact that it is not mentioned in historical sources until the fifteenth century B.C. At that time it appears in the inscriptions of Thutmose III. The annals of this pharaoh record that Megiddo led a confederation of rebel Canaanite cities. . . . The Egyptian army and the Canaanite chariotry fought the decisive battle of this rebellion . . . near Megiddo. This is the earliest military engagement whose details have been preserved. After thoroughly routing the Canaanite force in the field, Pharaoh captured a rich booty, including 924 chariots!”

Dr. Zev Vilnay, author of The New Israel Atlas, further describes the valley as being “the scene of famous battles from the dawn of history until World War I.”

all the best
Brenda