The Truth About Armageddon - Har Megiddo

Armageddon, it is a well known, long anticipated event in many cultures around the world. The battle between good and evil, where the positive forces will battle the negative forces in this world and, in most legends surrounding the impending event, good will win out in the end. In Christian lore, this encounter will be between God and Satan, and will finally clear the world of immorality once and for all. You might be surprised to learn though that the battle of Armageddon has occurred before, several times over the course of history.

The term Armageddon was born of a location, a location that has seen its fair share of blood in the past four thousand or so years. That location is the mount of Megiddo, or Har-Megiddo, a hill crafted of ruins of ancient cities in Israel that overlooks the Valley of Jezreel. Over thirty violent, blood-spilling clashes have taken place on the hill of Megiddo in ancient and modern times. It has seen more blood shed than any other place on earth.

The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Christian crusaders, Israelites, and Mongols all fought upon this mount. Napoleon, Thutmose III, Ptolemy, and Gideon led troops into battle at this site. Before the time of Christ, there were so many wars and skirmishes upon Har-Megiddo that it is not terribly surprising to historians that, in Revelation, John, the book's author, chose Megiddo as the setting of the apocalyptic battle between good and evil.

What is it about Megiddo that makes people want to fight? The answer is location, location, location. Since ancient times, any invading forces or defending armies needed the hill of Megiddo, at the head of the Megiddo Pass, and important trade route, in the very busy and populous Jezreel Valley, to have any chance of keeping control of the land. To control Har-Megiddo was to have control of the area, and invaders and guardians alike fought hard for possession of the hill. This led to some of the deadliest fighting in history.

Whether or not the Christian idea of Armageddon, written about in the book of Revelation, is a true impending event or not, there is no denying that the battles of Har-Megiddo that have already taken place have spilled their share of blood, and have oftentimes seen what people would consider a good faction against what people would consider an evil faction. If Armageddon is a real prophecy, people who believe in it believe that Megiddo is where it will take place.