Megiddo: A City Unearthed, A Past Imagined
A Special Exhibition at the ISAC Museum
September 18, 2025 – March 15, 2026
Megiddo: A City Unearthed, A Past Imagined marks 100 years since ISAC’s first major archaeological expedition (1925–1939), which revealed layers of palatial complexes, fortifications, and elite material culture. At the crossroads of West Asia, Egypt, and the Mediterranean, Megiddo endured for millennia as a nexus of power and cultural exchange. The exhibition, curated by Kiersten Neumann, examines not only what was unearthed but also what was imagined: a site transformed into a stage for institutional ambition, philanthropic vision, and global storytelling.
Original issues of The New York Times and The Illustrated London News with headlines like “New Revelations from Armageddon”—appear alongside the enduring artifacts they dramatized, showing how kings, empires, and excavation reports became front-page news. Visitors also go behind the scenes to explore how finds were documented and circulated, and how the partage system shaped ISAC’s collections. Directors’ correspondence, archival photographs, and remarkable artifacts trace a century-long journey from excavation to exhibition.
A contemporary art film, generously lent by artists Nick Crowe and Ian Rawlinson, offers a counterpoint: a meditation on Megiddo’s other legacy as the imagined site of biblical Armageddon. Against a backdrop of modern conflict and collective grief, it invites reflection on what “Armageddon” means today—not as prophecy, but as a nexus of metaphysics and geopolitics.
IN THE NEWS
new revelations from armageddon. further discoveries at megiddo, the biblical scene of the apocalyptic battle between "the kings of the earth," and for centuries a stronghold commanding the main road between asia and egypt: fresh light on the earliest inhabitants
The Illustrated London News, Nov. 19, 1938
uncovering ancient treasures at the world's most famous battlefield
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Aug. 1, 1937
Exhibition Materials
- Download the press release Megiddo: A City Unearthed, A Past Imagined
- Purchase and download the Megiddo Ivories Coloring Book by Kiersten Neumann (coming soon!)
Exhibition Programming
- Exclusive Exhibition Preview, September 17, 5:00–7:00pm CT (in-person) — Not yet a member? Become one today!
- ISAC lecture, "Framing the Story: Adam Selzer on Murder, Mystery & Chicago's Media Machine" with opening remarks from Kiersten Neumann on Megiddo's Historic Headlines, September 30, 7:00pm CT (in-person and online; register here)
- Save the Date: ISAC lecture with Eric Cline, January 7, 7:00pm CT (in-person and online)
Related Content
- Professional website for artists Nick Crowe and Ian Rawlinson
- Download and explore The Megiddo Ivories (OIP 52)
- Download additional ISAC publications connected with the Megiddo Expedition:
- Megiddo 1 (OIP 42); Megiddo 2 (OIP 62); Megiddo 3 (OIP 127)
- Material Remains of the Megiddo Cult (OIP 26); The Megiddo Water System (OIP 32); Megiddo Tombs (OIP 33); Early Megiddo on the East Slope (OIP 139)
- The Excavation of Armageddon (OIC 4); New Light from Armageddon (OIC 9)
- Ancient Israel: Highlights from the Collections of the Oriental Institute (OIMP 31)
- Purchase Digging Up Armageddon by Eric Cline (Princeton, 2022)
- Watch the ISAC lecture "Digging Up Armageddon" with Eric Cline (2021)
- Explore the Near Eastern Archaeology special issues on Megiddo: Volume 88.2 (June 2025), Volume 88.3 (coming fall 2025)
This exhibition is supported by ISAC members and ISAC Museum visitors; it is curated by Kiersten Neumann and organized by the ISAC Museum:
Susan Allison, Rob Bain, Denise Browning, Laura D’Alessandro, Anne Flannery, Marc Maillot, Helen McDonald, Kiersten Neumann, Josh Tulisiak, and Alison Whyte
With contributions from Eric Cline, Professor of Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies and of Anthropology, George Washington University
Our sincere thanks to artists Nick Crowe and Ian Rawlinson, whose generous loan of their work enriches the exhibition.
