Megerlin, Daahd Friedrich, a noted German Orientalist and mystic, was born at Stuttgard near the opening of the 18th century. After hokling for some time a professorship at the gymnasium at Montbelliard, he preached at Laubach, whence, in 17G9, he removed to Frankfort-on-the-Main to continue in the pastorate. He died in August, 1769. Megerlin took a lively in- terest in the welfare of the Jews, and labored earnestly for their conversion. In 1756 he gained great notori- ety by his public intercession in behalf of rai)bi Eibe- schiltz, who had published a cabalistic work containing many points to which his brethren had taken decided exception, particularly the favorable allusions to Sab- bathai Zewi (q. v.). The .Jews were greatly provoked with Eibeschiitz because they had found him a be- liever in the messiahship of the pretender Sabbathai, but Megerlin insisted that Eibeschiitz had been misin- terpreted, and that the rabbi was a believer in Jesus Christ. He made these views public in his Geheime Zeitgnisse fir die Wuhrheit der christlichen Religion (Lcipsic, 17.^6, 4to) ; and in Ncue Erweckung der Zer- slri'iiliii Jndenschdft (1756), and ChrUtlicher Zuruf an die lidhhinen (1757). His other valuable works are, De scriptis et cnllegiis nrientalibus ; item Observatiows cri- tiro-l/H'(il(igirir (Tiil)iiig. 1729, 4to) :— //ca-«« orienlaliiim coUegiiinim jihihihigicurum (1729, 4to): — De BiUiis La- Unix Miiguniiir priiiio iinpre.isis 1450-1462 (1750, 4to); anil a translation of the Koran into German. See Meu- 8<4. dtUhrteii-Lexikon, s. v.; Griitz, Gesch. der Juden, x,
41(:
Megethius. See Marcion.
Megid'do (Ileb. Megiddo', "i^a"?, according to Ge-
senius, \>erh. place of troops, according to Fiirst, rick in ornaments, i. e. noble, fruitful; Sept. Maytccw, but Ma- yicixt in Judg. i, 27, Maycai in 1 Kings ix, 15, and Ma- yi^ujv V. r. MayftCoiv and Mayecfw in 2 C'hron. pcxxv, 22; Vulg. Mageddo), once in the prolonged form JIE- GIDDOX (Zech. xii, 11, Heb. Megiddon', V''^? r, Sept. renders i icicoTrrd/itvoc, Vulg. Mageddon), a town belong- ing to Manasseh (Judg. i, 27), although at first witliin the boundaries of Issachar (Josh, xvii, 11), and commanding one of those passes from the north into the hill-coun- try which were of such critical importance on various occasions in the history of Judah (Judith iv, 7). It had originally been one of the royal cities of the Canaan- ites (Josh, xii, 21). This tribal arrangement was made partly to supplement the mountain-territory of Jlanas- seh, and partly to give those strongly-fortified places to a tribe who, from their courage and their alliance with Ephraim, might be able to drive out the old inhabit- ants. The task, however, proved too great even for the warlike IManassites ; but when the power of Israel was fiUly established, the Canaanites were reduced to slavery (Josh, xvii, 13-18 ; Judg. i, 27, 28). Indeed, we do no't read of Megiddo being firmly in the occupation of the Israelites till the time of Solomon. That monarch placed one of his twelve commissariat ofricers, named Baana, over "Taanach and Jlegiddo," with the neigh- borhood of Beth-shean and Jezreel (1 Kings iv, 12). In this reign it appears that some costly works were con- structed at ISIegiddo (ix, 15). These were probably for- tifications, suggested by its important military position. Nearly all the notices of the place are connected with military transactions. Of these there were three nota- ble ones. The following account of those we extract in part from Kitto's and Smith's Dictionaries. See Es-
DRAELOX.
(1.) The first was the victor}' of Barak. The song of Deborah brings the place vividly before us, as the scene of the great conflict. Jabin, king of Hazor, successor of the prince who had organized the northern confedera- tion against Joshua, was now the o()pressor of Israel, and Sisera was his general. The army of Jabin, with its 900 chariots of iron, was led down into the great plain, and drawn up at Jlegiddo, in a position to afford the best ground for the terrible war-chariots. With much difficulty Deborah the prophetess induced Barak to collect the warriors of the northern tribes. They as- sembled on Tabor. Deborah gave the signal, and the Is- raelites marched down to attack the enemy, full of hope and enthusiasm. At this moment a hail-storm from the east burst over the plain, and drove full in the faces of the advancing Canaanites (Josephus, .4 nf. v, 4). '• The stars in their courses fought against Sisera." His army was thrown into confusion. The waters of the Kishon rose rapidly, the low plain became a morass; chariots, horses, soldiers, all together were engulfed (Judg. iv and v). Those who have visited Megiddo and traversed its plain in the spring, after a heavy fall of rain, have found the Kishon greatly swollen, its banks quagmires, and all the ordinary mails impassable. See Kisiiox.
(2.) To this place Aliaziah fled when his unfortunate visit to Joram had brought him into collision with .Jehu, and here he died (2 Kings iv, 27), within the confines of what is elsewhere called Samaria (2 Chron. xxii, 9). As there are some difficulties in the history, we give the texts at length :
Ftdl (2 Chron. xxii, T-9). "And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God l)y coming to Joram: for wlieu he was come, he went nut with Jchorani n^aiiist .Jtliu the son of Ninishi, wliom the Lord had anointed to going up to "Gnr, whirli is cut off the house of Ahab. hy Ibleam. And he fled to And it came to pass that Megiddo, and died there, when Jehu was execuling And his servnuts carried judgment upon tlie house him in a chariot to Jci-usa- of Ahab, and found the lem, and buried him iu his princes of Judah, and the