LE´GIO
LE´GIO (
Λεγεών), a town of Palestine mentioned by Eusebius and S. Jerome. Its importance is intimated by the fact that it is assumed by them as a centre from which to measure the distance of other places. Thus they place it 15 M. P. west of Nazareth, three or four from Taanach (
Onomast. s. vv. Nazareth, Thaanach, Thanaach Camona, Aphraim.) Reland (
Palaest. s. v. p. 873) correctly identifies it with the modern village
Legune or
el-Lejjûn, “on the western border of the great plain of Esdraelon,” --which Eusebius and S. Jerome designate, from this town,
μέγα πεδίον Λεγεῶνος (
Onomast. s. v. Γαβαθών),--“where it already begins to rise gently towards the low range of wooded hills which connect Carmel and the mountains of Samaria.” Its identity with the Megiddo of Scripture is successfully argued by Dr. Robinson (
Bib. Res. vol. iii. pp. 177--180.) Megiddo is constantly joined with Taanach, and
Lejjûn is the requisite distance from the village of
Ta'annûk, which is directly south of it. Both were occupied by Canaanitish sheikhs (
Josh. 12.21), both assigned to the half-tribe of Manasseh, though lying within the borders of Issachar or Asher (17.11; 1
Chron. 7.29); both remained long unsubdued (
Judges, 1.27).
In the battle between Barak and Sisera “they fought in Taanach by the Waters of Megiddo,” --which waters issue from a copious fountain, the stream from which turns several mills, and is an important tributary to the Kishon (Maundrell,
Journey, March 22, p. 57.)
This is probably the place mentioned by Shaw as the
Ras-el-Kishon, or the head of the Kishon, under the south-east brow of Mount Carmel. Three or four of its sources, he says, lie within less than a furlong of each other, and discharge water enough to form a river half as big as the Isis. (
Travels, p. 274, 4to. ed.)
It was visited and described by Mr. Wolcott in 1842.
He found it to be an hour and 40 minutes from
Ta'annûk (
Bibliotheca Sacra, 1843, pp. 76--78.)
The great caravan road between Egypt and Damascus passes through
Lejjûn; and traces of an old Roman road are to be seen to the south of the village.
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G.W]
