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4) Kishon
The Kishon River is a 70-km-long perennial stream in Israel. Its source is the Gilboa mountains, and it flows in a west-northwesterly direction through the Jezreel Valley, emptying into the Haifa Bay in the Mediterranean Sea. Wikipedia.
The river Kishon has a source in the Gilboa mountains near Bet She'an and it goes past Jezreel on its way down the Jezreel valley to the sea at Haifa near the foot of Carmel. After defeating the prophets of Baal,
Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. (1Kings 18:40)
Why do this? Why did they go to the effort to slay them at the river and not on the mountain? Why did Elijah take them and all the people with him all the way down the mount to the river to slay them? After that Elijah then goes back up Mt Carmel and prayed for rain. This rain must have indeed washed away the blood and bodies of the slain. Elijah indicated that Ahab had to travel fast as the rain would flood the way, so he could not drive his chariot. So Elijah ran before him.
The flooding of the river Kishon features in Deborah's song of the destruction of Sisera.
My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD. Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates. Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty. Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; even Issachar, and also Barak: he was sent on foot into the valley. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart. Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Gilead abode beyond Jordan: and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches. Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field. The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money. They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. (Judges 5:9-21)
The reason why Sisera had to flee on foot was that when the river flooded his 900 chariots of iron were made useless, as the Jezreel valley became a swamp. Modern chariots have much the same problem. Will the river Kishon feature in the future in disabling modern chariots?
Will Jezreel become an important place again in the future?
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