Valley of Armageddon (Plain of Jezreel and Mount Megiddo)
Site Study
| Hershel Wayne House | Israel
The Valley of Armageddon has been a location of interest for nearly two thousand years and relates to the large Plain of Jezreel between the biblical site called Megiddo on the south, and Mt. Tabor and Nazareth on the north, the Mediterranean to the west, and the Sea of Galilee to the east. The Hebrew term is Harmageddon, but most know the term Armageddon because the Hebrew "h" was omitted in the Greek and Latin languages. It only occurs in Revelation 16:16 and is the location of a gathering of world armies prior to the final battle that will occur when Jesus returns to the earth. Napoleon, upon his travel to the Holy Land of Israel, remarked that all of the nations could gather there for battle.
Site Study
| Brian Kvasnica | Valley of Jezreel, in the Galilee
The Jezreel Valley is the triangular breadbasket of the Land of Israel, stretching about 20 miles on each of its three sides. Even its name means “God sows,” something that Hosea 1:11 and 2:21-23 uses for a play on words. While Jezreel was allotted to Issachar (Josh 19:18) in the lower Galilee region, it was not able to be taken until the time of Saul and David; and thus the valley is likely to be equated with “Horoshet HaGoim”—the Plowed Fields of the Gentiles, in this time, mainly the Egyptians (see Rainey and Notley, The Sacred Bridge, pp. 150-151). This fertile valley shares the name Jezreel with the town Jezreel, now known as Zerin (Arabic) or Tel Yizreel (Hebrew). Since Jezreel the city is not mentioned before the Israelite period, it seems likely to be founded by the Israelites. The Jezreel Valley is also known as the Esdraelon Valley in the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, and on the west side of the Valley is HarMegdon, more commonly known as Armageddon (Revelation 16:16).
Saul and the Israelite army camped at a spring near Jezreel against the Philistines (1 Sam 29:1). Under Solomon, Jezreel is part of the border of the fifth district of the kingdom (1 Kgs 4:12). Under Ahab (9th century b.c.), Jezreel had become the winter capital of the Israelite kingdom and we hear about Naboth’s vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab, King of Samaria, in 1 Kgs 21:1. The Usurper King Jehu had a famous chariot ride from Ramot Gilead (in Jordan) and then killed both kings of Israel and Judah as well as Jezebel who was thrown out of an upper story palace window (2 Kgs 9:32). Previously Elijah had run before Ahab’s chariot when he returned to his palace in Jezreel (1 Kgs 18:46). It may be that Jesus’ healing of the ten lepers took place near Jezreel as Luke 17:11-19 reports that he was passing “between Samaria and Galilee.” [footnote: See H.G.M. Williamson, “Jezreel in the Biblical Texts,”Tel Aviv 18 (1991):72-92; and subsequent reports in Tel Aviv.]
Tel Jezreel was excavated by David Ussishkin and John Woodhead, but unfortunately almost nothing was preserved for posterity. Thankfully, with the few stones left and the overview of the Jezreel and Harod Valleys, one can still be greatly helped in reimagining the Biblical stories.
1The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, so Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made themselves the dens which are in the mountains, the caves, and the strongholds. 3So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them. 4They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey. 5For they came up with their livestock and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it. 6Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh.
7When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh because of Midian, 8Yahweh sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage. 9I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land. 10I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not listened to my voice.’”
11Yahweh’s angel came and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites. 12Yahweh’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
13Gideon said to him, “Oh, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Didn’t Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
14Yahweh looked at him, and said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?”
15He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
16Yahweh said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
17He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me. 18Please don’t go away until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you.”
He said, “I will wait until you come back.”
19Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.
20The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.”
He did so. 21Then Yahweh’s angel stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. Then Yahweh’s angel departed out of his sight.
22Gideon saw that he was Yahweh’s angel; and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Because I have seen Yahweh’s angel face to face!”
23Yahweh said to him, “Peace be to you! Don’t be afraid. You shall not die.”
24Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and called it “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25That same night, Yahweh said to him, “Take your father’s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it. 26Then build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold, in an orderly way, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”
27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him. Because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, he could not do it by day, but he did it by night.
28When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bull was offered on the altar that was built. 29They said to one another, “Who has done this thing?”
When they inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”
30Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.” 31Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has broken down his altar!” 32Therefore on that day he named him Jerub-Baal, saying, “Let Baal contend against him, because he has broken down his altar.”
33Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel. 34But Yahweh’s Spirit came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together to follow him. 35He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they also were gathered together to follow him. He sent messengers to Asher, to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
36Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken, 37behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I’ll know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.”
38It was so; for he rose up early on the next day, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39Gideon said to God, “Don’t let your anger be kindled against me, and I will speak but this once. Please let me make a trial just this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.”
40God did so that night; for it was dry on the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.