Armagedonske bitke: Megido i Jizreelska dolina od Brončanoga do Nuklearnoga doba
The book by a world-renowned archaeologist and historian explores Megiddo (Hebrew: Har Megiddo, Greek: Armageddon) and the Jezreel Valley as the bloodiest battlefield in world history. Over 4,000 years, 34 major battles were fought in this strategic pass.
Cline, a participant in the excavations at Megiddo, combines archaeological evidence, historical records, and modern analysis to reconstruct the conflicts that shaped civilizations. Key battles include:
- Bronze Age (1457 BC): Thutmose III defeats Canaanite allies in the earliest recorded chariot battle.
- Iron Age: Battle of Megiddo (609 BC), where Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II kills Judean King Josiah, symbolizing the downfall of Judah.
- Hellenistic-Roman period: Alexander the Great conquers the region (332 BC), and the Battle of Megiddo (145 BC) in the Maccabean Revolt.
- Middle Ages: Crusaders under Godfrey of Bouillon (1099) and Saladin (1187) clash in the valley.
- Modern era: Napoleon's victory over the Ottomans (1799), British forces against the Turks in WW1 (1918, Gen. Allenby), Israeli-Arab wars (1948, 1967, 1973), including the Yom Kippur War.
Cline points out the geostrategic importance: the Jezreel Valley, an oasis plain surrounded by mountains (Tabor, Gilboa), ideal for cars and tanks, but a trap for the unprepared. He uses Egyptian reliefs, biblical letters, Ottoman archives and modern maps to depict tactics, leaders and consequences. The book culminates with speculation about the future "Armageddon" of Revelation, warning of the risks of nuclear conflict in this region.
This comprehensive chronicle, rich in maps and anecdotes, highlights how Megiddo witnessed the rise and fall of empires, from pharaohs to nuclear powers, making it a universal symbol of apocalypse and resilience.
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