Simon Says: "Let's Tour Solomon's Gate at Tel Megiddo"
Last week I led an enthusiastic group to Tel Megiddo, one of the most strategically important sites in ancient Israel. Megiddo controlled the Via Maris, the international trade & military route linking Egypt with Mesopotamia. Whoever held Megiddo effectively controlled movement through the northern approaches.
One of the clearest indicators of Megiddo’s significance is the six-chambered gate often attributed to the Solomonic period (tenth century BCE). These monumental gateways appear at three major sites
*Tel Megiddo
*Tel Gezer
*Tel Hazor
An identical architectural pattern across all three locations provides strong evidence for a centralised construction programme, matching the biblical description of Solomon’s fortification projects. The gates stand out due to their symmetry, their massive blocks & their defensive measures, which allowed guards to control entry, trap intruders in a confined space & protect the city with multiple chambers.
To date this structure, archaeologists combine:
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Stratigraphy (layer by layer excavation)
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Pottery typology, particularly Iron Age II ceramics
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Architectural parallels with Hazor & Gezer
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Carbon dating from associated layers
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Historical texts that describe building works in these cities during Solomon’s reign
Together, these sources of evidence place the construction in the early Iron Age, aligning with the period traditionally associated with the united monarchy.
Megiddo’s gate was not simply a defensive structure but also a symbol of state authority & engineering. Its position allowed the kingdom to guard its northern border, monitor commercial traffic & maintain military readiness.
Our group also visited the impressive remains known as Solomon’s Stables. These structures give us a clue about the scale of the kingdom’s chariot forces. Biblical souces describe Solomon importing horses from Egypt & Cilicia, establishing a trade that brought thousands of animals into royal service. Archaeological evidence at Megiddo supports a complex that could house a significant number of war horses, reflecting the military reality of the period.
Interestingly, this practice contradicted biblical teaching. The Book of Deuteronomy cautions Israel’s kings not to accumulate large numbers of horses or to rely on foreign alliances for military strength. Yet the size of the stables demonstrates how policy shifted as international threats grew.
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