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August 11, 2022

Uncovering a Roman Amphitheater at Armageddon

Used for troop training, marching, speeches and, fun.

The New Testament famously describes a great apocalyptic battle that will precede the end of days as taking place at Armageddon—a name that is simply a transliteration of the Hebrew Har Megiddo or “Mount Megiddo.” Located on the edge of the Jezreel Valley in northern Israel, Megiddo is not a mountain, but a tel, i.e., a mound created by the remains of successive bygone settlements. It was the location of an ancient Israelite fortress as well as several historic battles: in 609 BCE the Egyptians defeated the Judean army there and slew King Josiah; in 1918 it was where Edmund Allenby led a British force to victory over the Ottomans. The ancient Romans built a military base in Megiddo, as Margaret Crable writes:

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August 11, 2022

  1. The New Iran Deal Will Reward Terrorism, Help Russia, and Get Nothing in Return

    It could provide a way for the Kremlin to circumvent sanctions.

  2. The History of the Temple Mount Status Quo, Which Prohibits Jews from Praying at Their Holiest Site

    How a Mameluke decree became international law.

  3. The United Nations and the Press Snap into Action to Condemn Israel

    A lesson in the difference between deterrence and prevention.

  4. Bermuda Gets Its First Full-Time Rabbi

    But the island’s Jewish roots go back to the 17th century.

  5. Uncovering a Roman Amphitheater at Armageddon

    Used for troop training, marching, speeches and, fun.