[har megiddo] the massing of the armies

The map is much clearer at the original site. Click on the map.

Sometimes I want to visit the Valley of Jezreel and sometimes I don't.

Most historical places we visit, we can feel the history right there, for example, Whitby Abbey or some battlefield but when the place we visit is the site of some future event, a cataclysmic event, then it takes on a special significance.

My final novel [of three] is set in this roughly 25 mile by 20 valley and it took some research to try to get authenticity. How can you get authenticity for the end of the world though? For it is on the southern side of the valley that the hill called Har Megiddo or in the Hellenic form Armageddon lies.

At one end is Mt Carmel and Haifa and at the other, the Jordan River and the road to Jerusalem. Here, it is written, the final battle will take place and this valley will be for the massing of the armies against Israel. The hill itself, the "Har" of Megiddo, is run through with passages, a spring and many underground walkways.

It's a mystery in itself and a source of fascination for me. Below are some shots of the valley and the hill.