Plowing in Plains of Jezreel
Passing through the vast Plain of Esdraelon, which extends across Central Palestine from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea, Joseph and Mary would see the great battle field of Syria. In this plain Deborah and Barak conquered the army of Jabin under Sisera. “And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and the people that were with him from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. And Deborah said unto Barak: Up, for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand. Is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from Mt. Tabor and ten thousand men with him. And the Lord discomfited Sisera and all his chariots and all his hosts with the edge of the sword before Barak, so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot and fled away on his feet.”—Judges 4:13–16. Here also, on the southern edge of the plain near Megiddo, Josiah, King of Judah, was defeated and slain by Pharaoh Necho, King of Egypt, on his way to the Euphrates.—2 Kings 23:29, 30. Here, near Jezreel, was fought the battle between Gideon and the Midianites.—Judges 6:1–33. Here the Philistines encamped in their conflict with Saul.—1 Samuel 29:1. Here also, in later years, was the battle between Saladin and the Crusaders, and in 1799 the famous battle of Mt. Tabor between Napoleon’s army and the Turks. In the picture we look westward, facing Carmel and the Mediterranean. We were here on the 4th of May, in 1894. Our dragoman asked the people, whom in the picture we see plowing, if they would stop long enough for us to take a photograph. For the usual “Baksheesh” they granted his request.
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