| So many civilizations have come and gone in the Holy Land throughout the ages. In Megiddo, because of its strategic location along the major trade route �Via Maris� between Egypt and Damascus, twenty-five layers of different civilizations have been uncovered, each represented by a layer of earth. At Megiddo archaeologists have uncovered a Canaanite altar used for burnt offerings dating back to the Early Bronze Age. Megiddo was also one of King Solomon�s and King Ahab�s fortified hilltop cities, and here archaeologists have uncovered Ahab�s horse stables (note stone manger on left), plus a stepped water shaft and hidden tunnel built by Ahab to provide a water source inside the city walls. As a group we walked down 183 steps to the bottom of this hidden tunnel. Megiddo is also mentioned in the Bible as the site of Armageddon (Revelation 16:13-16). After leaving Megiddo we drove along the countryside of Galilee to our hotel in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee where we were to spend two nights. Along the way we saw many Jewish and Moslem towns interspersed upon the landscape, all living peacefully next to each other, and in Tiberias that night we saw both Jews and Arabs walking the streets. |
