Page 16 - Holyland Magazine - 2019 Edition

Going Biblical

in the National Parks of

Northern
Israel

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority manages approximately 25% of Israel’s total area, including some of
its most beautiful parks - 400 nature reserves and 100 national parks, to be exact. Here is a glimpse of five
delightful parks, filled with traces from biblical times

By Dr. Tsvika Tsuk

Tel Megiddo National Park is home part of the king’s palace. The other gate (half “And he gathered them together into a place
of it is gone) is believed by some experts to called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon”
to one of Israel’s most important biblical tels be Solomon’s Gate, built of hewn stones. (Revelation 16:16). A little south of here is
(prehistoric and historic settlement mounds), Every three tiers (or rows) has a depression another, more intimate, lookout point, where
and as of 2005, a UNESCO World Heritage meant to hold a wooden beam, very similar you can pray, sing hymns or just close your
site, along with the other biblical mounds of to the building technique of the Temple in eyes and imagine this much-anticipated future.
Beer Sheba and Hazor. Get your bearings Jerusalem: "...three rows of hewn stone and From here, you can see Mt. Gilboa and Mt.
with an explanatory film and exhibition at the a row of cedar beams” (1 Kings 6:36). Tabor, Givat Hamore, the hills of Nazareth and
park’s Visitor Center, swing by the obligatory the Jezreel Valley. In the middle of Tel Megiddo
souvenir shop and enjoy the restaurant. At Tel A little further down are the remains of a circular some traces of Canaanite temples
Megiddo, you will learn about this Canaanite another palace, also attributed by some and a circular sacrificial altar.
and Israelite city, and as Christians, you will scholars to King Solomon, with royal stables
certainly feel the emotional and spiritual built on top. Move on to the lookout point, Let us move on to the southern stable
gravity of the site where Armageddon is with breathtaking views of the surrounding complex, with recreations of an ancient
supposed to take place. Let us start at the countryside. As the Book of Revelation tells us, stable and a chariot. Go down 173 steps
city’s entrance gates, and move through the it is here, on Tel Megiddo (Armageddon), that into a subterranean water system, and walk
Canaanite gate into an open courtyard with the last battle of the end of days will take place: a short tunnel (around 50 yards) towards
a few basalt steps. The wall on your right is

16 Reconstruction of chariot at the The Canaanite gate at

southern stables at Tel Megiddo. Tel Megiddo.
Photo: Danny Abuhatzeira Photo: Lucy Yosef