Megiddo, Israel

Megiddo מְגִדּוֹ, מגידו‎
Aerial view of Megiddo from the south. Nearby Tel Megiddo can be seen at the top. Aerial view of Megiddo from the south. Nearby Tel Megiddo can be seen at the top.
Megiddo
Coordinates:
District	Northern
Council	Megiddo
Region	Jezreel Valley
Affiliation	Kibbutz Movement
Founded	1949
Founded by	Holocaust survivors
Population	844
Website	www.megido.org.il

Megiddo (Hebrew: מְגִדּוֹ‎، Arabic المجیدو, is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located in the Jezreel Valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of Megiddo Regional Council. In 2014, Megiddo had a population of 844.

The kibbutz was founded in 1949 by Holocaust survivors, partisans and fighters from Poland and Germany. It is located near Megiddo Junction, the intersection of highways 65 (from Hadera to Afula) and 66 (running from Haifa south to the West Bank). The junction is the site of a bus terminal and a high-security prison.

The kibbutz is located near the site of the several Battles of Megiddo and Tel Megiddo, a rich archeological site. According to the Bible, the town was apportioned to the tribe of Manasseh (1 Chronicles 7:29). In 2005, Israeli archeologists discovered the remains of an ancient church, perhaps the oldest in the Holy Land, under the grounds of the prison. Authorities are speculating about moving the prison so the site can be accessible to tourists.

In Christian apocalyptic literature, Mount Megiddo, the hill overlooking the valley where the current kibbutz is located, is identified as the site of the final battle between the forces of good and evil at the end of time, known as Armageddon and mentioned in the New Testament in Revelation 16:16.

External links

• Megiddo Regional Council