2/1967

Contents
Taanach by the Waters of Megiddo, by Paul W. Lapp      2
Wilson's Arch and the Masonic Hall, Summer 1966, by William F. Stinespring    27
A Message to Our Readers     31

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Taanach By The Waters Of Megiddo
PAUL W. LAPP
American School, Jerusalem, Jordan
The frequency of its mention in the Bible is not a very reliable guide to the size or historical importance of a town in biblical times. Taanach is mentioned seven times, Megiddo twelve. The size of Taanach, delimited throughout its history by its Early Bronze fortifications, is nearly fourteen acres. While Megiddo was somewhat larger than Taanaeh in the Bronze age, in Israelite times Megiddo covered only about thirteen acres. fluch more prominent in biblical events are Shiloh and Bethel, mentioned respectively 32 and 64 times. Both these towns arc less than a third the size of Taanach.
The differing purposes of the various biblical texts are major factors in detcrmining the number of times a town is mentioned in the Bible. Some towns were mentioned because they happened to be the seene of an important battle or death, or wcre an a territorial border. Part of the prominence of Shiloh and Bethel undoubtedly comes from their rolc as eenters in which elements of biblical tradition developed. The relative prominence of Megiddo over Taanach may be attributed to the fact that Megiddo was a seat of governmental administration, for this likely accounts for the connection of Ahaziah and Josiah with Megiddo rather than with Taanach.
Aside from the famous battle at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo memorialized in the Song of Deborah (Judges 5:19), Taanach is mentioned in the Bible only as a town undefeated by Joshua (Judges 1:27), in a list of towns with kings smitten by Joshua (Joshua 12:21), in the tribal allotments
 

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