Kishon River

The stage is now set for a dramatic confrontation between the Israelites and the Canaanite army.

The battle takes place near the Kishon River.

According to the biblical account, a sudden storm causes flooding that disables Sisera's chariots.

The advantage of heavy military equipment disappears quickly when wheels get stuck in mud.

We ran down an inclined plane into a city which was ancient when the child Joseph passed under its walls, a trembling little slave, on his way down from Dothan into Egypt; or, perching on a staircase, looked into the houses of those citizens whom Joshua failed to subdue.

Here we mount a few steps, and find ourselves in the fortress which guarded the plain when Israel and Sisera were struggling on the banks of the Kishon; or, wandering outside, we rest beneath the city walls, graven with emblems of the time, in honor of the golden prime of good Harun al Rashid.

No story of The Arabian Nights which may have been related here could have for us half the glamour, the enchantment, of those we may make for ourselves here and now.

A fragment of iridescent glass, of an ivory handle, of a water jar—here are charms enough to weave a magic spell.

Megiddo and Tanach are always named together in Bible history, and we learn that both were fortified towns before the Israelitish occupation; that the tribe of Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants; that Solomon fortified Megiddo; and that two kings of Judah, Ahaziah and Josiah, died there, far from their own royal city, a fact which testifies to its continued consequence.

Excavation at Tell el-Mutasillim has revealed a strongly fortified city of obvious importance, which seems to fulfill all required conditions.

Conder, however, identifies Megiddo with a distant town near the Jordan, far from Tanak, the Kishon, and the Great Plain, which there was no particular reason for fortifying, but which is called Mujayyah, which sounds rather like Megiddo.

We reach Lejeune in bright sunshine about an hour after leaving Tanak, and Tell el-Mutay Selim rises somewhat abruptly beyond.

Selah.

Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, who were destroyed at Endor, who became dung for the ground.

Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeab, all their princes like Zeba and Zalmanah, who said, Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God.

O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.

The Lord, He is God." And they slew the prophets of Baal there at the brook, uh, what was it? Kidron? I'm going off memory here.

Kishon, Kidron, one of those brooks.

And, uh, and there was a great victory that day.

Hey, we can call on the God of the universe, the true God, as believers in Jesus, and we can pray, and we can ask God for wisdom, and we can get involved, and we can make a difference.

And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor? Take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun, and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude, at the river Kishon, and I will deliver him into your hand.

And Barak said to her, If you will go with me, then I will go.

But if you will not go with me, I will not go.

The torrent of Hishon swept them away.

That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon.

O my soul, march on in strength.

Then the horse's hooves pounded, the galloping, galloping of his steeds.