Israel - Day 5 - Friday - Part 1 - Meggido

Friday, we packed to leave the hotel we had been at in Tiberias.  It was a really nice hotel with beautiful views and delicious food and kind people.  (Sidenote: We were warned that people here would be very rude, and we did see some of that, but our guides kept us in very nice places and we were blessed by the people all around us.)  From Tiberias, we headed west to the Jezreel Valley, east to the Jordan River Valley and Gideon Springs, by-passed Jericho, past Jerusalem, to the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea.  Our travels took us from the beautiful green northern part of Israel to the desert land that I had pictured Israel as all along.

We saw Mt Moray, where it was explained to us that this was Elisha's turf.  It is a large, fertile valley bringing in 2 crops a year and is considered the bread basket of the nation.

 

Next was Tel Megiddo - we learned that a Tel is a man-made hill and archaeological site.  Megiddo is over 5000 years old (one of the oldest cities in the world) with 20 archaeological layers.  Megiddo's Golden Age was during Solomon's reign when it was one of his 3 chariot cities.  It has a wall around it (as all cities had to have), a gate, guard towers, and a winding road wide enough to accomodate the king's chariot.  Again, there was a left turn from the road into the city.  

Several of the places we visited had a model of what the city looked like in it's day as we would enter the site.

  

 On our walk up the hill we learned that the karob tree produces fruit that is always the same size and weight, and is what they measured gold against - 14 K, 16 K, etc.

  

 This stairway was used by the common people at the lower road, as the higher road was only available to royalty, soldiers, and officials.

  

 Our group walking through the city gate

  

 Looking back down the hill we came up to enter into the city

  

  

 Just inside the gate - isn't it beautiful?  I think it would be an awesome job to work in archaeological sites.  I was so excited to learn that there are broken pottery pieces all over lots of the sites we would be visiting and that they're yours for the taking!  (So we took!)

  

  

  

 This was either a public grain silo or a water cistern.  It's hard to see the stone walk way that led from the top to the bottom of this enormous pit.

  

 Some of our group - we were at the peak of Megiddo.  Megiddo was considered the crossroads of the ancient world - any of the 4 directions you go from here takes you to one of the holy cities.

  

This sign looks out over the Valley of Armageddon where several battles have already taken place, and where it is believed the last battle will be fought before the tribulation.

  

I loved the sign and it's message - it is written in 4 different languages.

  

I LOVED this part - this is the stable where the chariot horses were kept

  

And this is what the troughs looked like.  This is the kind of trough Jesus would have been laid in when he was born, not the short wooden version we see in children's books.  I thought this was so amazing!
 

  

  

 Next we headed into the water tunnel.

  

 Women would carry their ceramic jars to fill with water at this alternate water source during times of war.  Usually, they had to leave the city to fill their jars, but the men kindly built this gigantic tunnel that secretly connected an outside water source to this cistern inside the city gates.

  

 The water tunnel was carved into this rock (AMAZING) until it reached the outside water source, then was enclosed again to disguise it from enemies

  

 This is where a small pool of water is now, but where there was once enough water for this city to survive during war times.

  

Looking up from the base to the hidden entrance above.

  

Megiddo was awesome - we learned so much.  One other neat story - When King Ahab married "naughty, haughty" Jezebel, he brought her to Megiddo.  This is where she looked out over Nabat's vineyard and wanted it, eventually having him killed so that she could have it for herself.

Since this has already been a really long post, I'm splitting Friday into more than one post.

If you're bored reading all of this, I apologize.  It was fascinating to hear all of the history and details as we were standing there where it happened, but I don't think I can convey it all here.  Needless to say, if there is any way you can go and see this for yourself - DO IT! :)  You will not regret it.