Archaeologists discover 'proof' of major Biblical event at site of Armageddon

The term 'Armageddon' has long been synonymous with the ultimate showdown between good and evil, often associated with the end times.

Its notoriety surged following the 1998 blockbuster starring Bruce Willis, which depicted a catastrophic asteroid on a collision course with Earth.

Historically, there's been much debate over an epic battle involving Judaean King Josiah, said to be a descendant of Jesus, who reportedly died battling Pharaoh Necho II's forces at Megaiddo.

While biblical texts reference this battle, concrete evidence had eluded historians until now, with scientists claiming they've uncovered definitive proof of the ancient conflict.

A recent study in the Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament presents findings that Ancient Egyptians were indeed present at Tel Megiddo, located in Northern Israel, reports the Mirror US.

Archaeologist Dr Assaf Kleiman, who co-authored the report, revealed: "We have found high quantities of crude and straw-tempered pottery vessels imported from Egypt, as well as a few East Greek vessels."

Dr Kleiman, alongside his colleague Dr Israel Finkelstein from the University of Haifa and Tel Aviv University, suggests that these Greek pots indicate the presence of mercenaries from the region within the Egyptian military.

Archaeologist Israel Finkelstein has made a startling connection between recent findings and ancient scriptures, suggesting that the discovery of an Egyptian garrison at Megiddo could be linked to the biblical tale of King Josiah's demise. "This scenario may be linked to the biblical account about the killing of King Josiah of Judah by Pharaoh Necho at Megiddo in 609 BC," Finkelstein remarked.

"The Bible recounts the death of Josiah at Megiddo in two places."

He elaborated on the historical context: "He's killed by Necho during an encounter at Megiddo in the Book of Kings, and killed in a battle with the Egyptians in the Book of Chronicles. On this background, the new evidence for an Egyptian garrison, possibly with Greek mercenaries, at Megiddo in the late seventh century BC, may provide the background to the event."

Lad Bible reports that the term Armageddon is found in the Book of Revelation, specifically in the verse: "And they (demons) gathered the kings and armies of the world together at the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon (Armageddon)."

It's noted that early translations of the Greek Bible referred to 'Har-Magedon', pinpointing it as the site where King Josiah was thought to have fallen. His tragic end is also chronicled in the earlier Book of Kings, and over time, Armageddon has become emblematic of cataclysmic conflicts, echoing in today's language.

The clash and King Josiah's subsequent death were monumental at the time and could explain why Tel Megiddo is shrouded in such apocalyptic notoriety.

Finkelstein told LiveScience that Josiah was seen as a devout leader and the notion of an Armageddon event only emerged after his demise. The scientist posits that this logically developed into a belief in a final showdown between good and evil, taking place where the king was killed by the Egyptians.