Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC)
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The Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC) was fought between Egyptian forces under the command of the pharaoh Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Kadesh. It is the first battle to have been recorded in what is accepted as reliable detail.
Various precise dates have been suggested for the battle. The date most favored by Egyptologists is 1457 BC (according to the accepted Middle Chronology), although many other publications place the battle in 1482 BC or 1479 BC.
The Battle of Megiddo was an Egyptian victory and resulted in a rout of the Canaanite forces, which fled to safety in the city of Megiddo. Their action resulted in the subsequent lengthy Siege of Megiddo.
All details of the battle come from Egyptian sources -- primarily the hieroglyphic writings on the Hall of Annals in the Temple of Amun at Karnak, Thebes (now Luxor), by the military scribe Tjaneni.
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Canaanite revolt
At the end of the reign of the Egyptian queen-regent Hatshepsut, local rulers in the vicinity of modern-day Syria chose that time to try and throw off Egyptian influence. The Canaanites united and allied with the Kingdom of Mitanni on the banks of the Euphrates. The driving force behind this revolt was the King of Kadesh. The powerful fortress of Kadesh offered protection to him and the city. The King of Megiddo, with an equally strong fortress, joined the alliance. Following the death of his aunt Hatshepsut, Thutmose III became pharaoh, and had to deal immediately with the revolt.
This is because Megiddo lies on the southwest edge of Jezreel Valley just behind the Mount Carmel ridge, controls the trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia. Because of its excellent strategic location dominated by its hill fortress, Megiddo was the site of many battles in history, and so it was at this time.
Egyptian campaign
Thutmose III gathered an army chariots and infantry that numbered as much as 10,000 men. This high number is consistent with the length of the line-of-march described, which was apparently several kilometers long.
The army assembled at its border fortress Tjaru (called Sile in Greek) and arrived 10 days later into the Egyptian-loyal city of Gaza. After one day's rest it left for the far city of Yehem, which was reached after 11 days. Here the Pharaoh sent scouts to investigate the area. To continue north, they must pass the Mount Carmel ridge. Behind it the city and fortress of Megiddo lay, where the revolting forces had assembled.
There were three possible routes from Yehem to Megiddo. Both the northern route, via Zefti, and southern route, via Taanach, gave safe access to the Jesreel Valley. The middle route, via Aruna, was risky; it followed a narrow ravine, and the troops could only travel single-file. If the enemy waited at the end of the ravine, the Pharaoh's soldiers would be cut-down piecemeal. The army leaders pleaded therefore to take either of the two easier roads around the steeper area. Instead, with information from the scouts, Thutmose III decided to take the direct path to Megiddo.
Thutmose himself led his men on a forced-march to Aruna. The city was lightly guarded by the enemy; the Pharaoh led a quick assault that scattered the rebels. His army then continued and entered the valley unopposed. The rebels had left large infantry detachments guarding the two more likely paths, and all but ignored the middle path. Now the Egyptian army had a clear path to Megiddo, and large parts of rebel army were far away to the north and south.
Battle and siege
The Pharaoh recognized the opportunity. He set up camp and, during the night, arrayed his forces close to the enemy. The next morning they attacked. The rebels were on high ground adjacent to the fortress. The Egyptian line was arranged in a concave formation that threatened both rebel flanks. The Pharaoh led the attack from the center. The combination of position and numbers, along with an early, bold attack, broke the enemy's will; their line immediately collapsed. Those near the city fled into it, closing the gates behind them.
The Egyptian soldiers fell to plundering the enemy's camp. Unfortunately, during this confusion, the scattered rebel forces, including the kings of Kadesh and Megiddo, were able to rejoin the defenders inside the city. Those inside lowered clothing to the men and chariots and actually pulled them up over the walls. Thus the opportunity of a quick capture of the city following the battle was lost.
The Egyptians besieged the city. They sent forces throughout the rebel lands; these all readily recognized the sovereignty of Egypt. Still, the city held out for some time -- as much as seven months by some estimates.
The victorious army took home 340 prisoners, 2041 mares, 191 foals, 6 stallions, 924 chariots, 200 suits of armor, 502 bows, 1929 cattle, 22,500 sheep, and the royal armor, chariot and tent-poles of the King of Megiddo. The city and citizens of Megiddo were spared.
Results
Egypt's realm was expanded by this campaign. Thutmose III required from the defeated kings that they each delegate a son to the Egyptian court. There, they received an Egyptian education. Later, when they returned to their homelands, hopefully they would govern with Egyptian sympathies. This idea was successful.
However, the victory at Megiddo was only the beginning of the pacification of Palestine and Syria. Only after several further campaigns, conducted almost annually, was the unrest cooled.
References
- Schlacht bei Megiddo (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlacht_bei_Megiddo) from the German-language Wikipedia. Retrieved February 21, 2005.
- Donald B Redford, Wars in Syria and Palestine of Thutmose III, 2003, Publisher: E J Brill. ISBN 9004129898
- Richard Ernest Dupuy, Trevor N. Dupuy, The encyclopedia of military history from 3500 B.C. to the present, 1993, Publisher: Harper & Row. ISBN 0060111399
External links
- An Egyptian account of the Battle of Megiddo (http://www.hillsdale.edu/dept/History/War/Classical/Egypt/1469-Megiddo-Egypt.htm)
- A modern description of the Battle of Megiddo (http://nefertiti.iwebland.com/megiddobattle.htm)
- Thutmosis III - The Napoleon of Ancient Egypt (in German) (http://www.meritneith.de/thutmosis_militaer.htm)
- The Battle of Megiddo by Troy Fox (http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/megiddo.htm)