Megiddo, Israel

Megiddo
מְגִדּוֹ, מגידו

Aerial view of Megiddo from the south. Nearby Tel Megiddo can be seen at the top.
Megiddo
Coordinates: 32°34′44″N 35°10′50″E / 32.57889°N 35.18056°E / 32.57889; 35.18056Coordinates: 32°34′44″N 35°10′50″E / 32.57889°N 35.18056°E / 32.57889; 35.18056
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.

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