The Battle of Megiddo

Overview of The Battle of Megiddo

Since it was customary for the chief military scribe “Tjaneni” to engrave all the details of the war in hieroglyphics on the temple of Amen-Ra in Thebes, Karnak, the battle of Megiddo is the first battle in ancient history to be recorded in complete detail. An uprising headed by the king of Kadesh was put down by the pharaoh of Egypt in roughly 1479 B.C. on the 21st day of the first month of the third year of the reign of king Thutmose III (the Ancient city in the Near East).

King Thutmose III succeeded his stepmother Queen Hatshepsut, who had managed to create a formidable, well-organized army and an affluent nation before passing the throne to him upon her demise. The kings of Megiddo and Kadesh revolted against him when she died because they thought he was weak and unfit. Therefore, the Canaanites of Megiddo, the Syrians of Kadesh, and other communities that participated in this insurrection that congregated outside the city of Megiddo—a major fortification along with an important commercial and military route—were the targets of king Thutmose’s first campaign.

He gathered an army of between 10,000 and 20,000 men, made up of charioteers and infantry, and had the army establish a base close to the enemy’s lines. He then led his army through a perilous path to the enemy’s base, where he had control over the element of surprise, causing the enemy’s army, which had an equal number of troops and weapons, to flee in fear. He also had the army of the pharaoh access to highly sophisticated equipment and The Egyptian army pursued the fleeing adversaries and killed them one by one while the remainder of the force sought refuge in Megiddo.

The Egyptian army quickly excavated a moat and constructed their own defensive wall around the city, turning the war into a siege. The city was under siege for seven months before the conquered rulers gave up control. The Egyptian army then invaded the city and seized three strongholds, more than 20,000 horses, millions of tonnes of grain and animals, gold and silver chariots, and other valuables. With power over the northern front of his country under his control, he may conduct military operations in neighboring nations and grow his kingdom. The children of the defeated leaders were brought to Egypt, educated there, and subsequently, when they reached adulthood, they were allowed to return to their homeland in order to go on serving the Egyptian pharaoh. The success of all of his subsequent wars and his standing in the annals of history were set by his victory over this alliance and by the passage of time and the incredible fame of this conflict.