The ancient fortress of Megiddo appears in the New Testament as Armageddon, the location of the millennial battle between the forces of good and evil. The battle of Megiddo was the name given to the action that launched the final Allied offensive against the Turks in Palestine and Syria. Deceiving the Turkish high command that his next offensive would be launched across the Jordan River, General Sir Edmund Allenby secretly concentrated his forces on the coastal plain. His offensive began with a massed infantry assault that tore a hole in the Turkish line and allowed the mounted forces to be unleashed into the Turkish rear to sever the routes vital for supply and reinforcement. Within 24 hours the mounted troops had advanced over 50 kilometres into the Turkish rear areas. The battle of Meggido brought about a rapid Turkish collapse, facilitating a rapid advance on Damascus by the Allied mounted troops.