In ancient times, Megiddo towered above the Plain of Jezreel. It was located along the Via Maris?the primary trade route of the day?making the city an economic and cultural powerhouse. Traders from Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, and Persia all had to pass through the crucial mountain pass at Megiddo.

Controlling Megiddo meant having enormous influence over the ancient world, and people often vied for its control. Archaeologists have discovered seventy-seven layers in Tel Megiddo, each representing a time when the city was battled for, destroyed, and rebuilt.

Click here to see a diagram of Megiddo

The Hebrew Testament tells us that King Solomon gained control of Megiddo (1 Kings 9:15). No doubt a great deal of Solomon?s wealth and power came from his control of this strategic city.

Megiddo was truly one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. By giving it to the Israelites, God put his witnesses at a primary and strategic place in the world.

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