- Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC)
Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Megiddo
partof=
campaign=
caption=Aerial view ofTel Megiddo from the north east.
date=16 April 1457 BC (9 May traditional)
place=Megiddo,Israel
casus=Canaanite uprising
territory=
result=Egyptian victory
combatant1=Egypt
combatant2=Canaan Kadesh
MegiddoMitanni
commander1=Thutmose III
commander2=King of Kadesh
strength1=10,000 men
(possibly 20,000 men?)
strength2=Unknown, probably fewer than Egyptian forces
casualties1=Unknown
casualties2=83 killed,
340 capturedThe Battle of Megiddo (
15th century BC ) was fought between Egyptian forces under the command ofpharaoh Thutmose III and a largeCanaan ite coalition under the King ofKadesh . It is the firstbattle to have been recorded in what is accepted as relatively reliable detail. Various precise dates have been suggested for the battle. The date isApril 16 , 1457 BC (according to the acceptedMiddle Chronology ), although 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. Megiddo is the first battle of which there is a detailed historical account. It is also the first recorded use of thecomposite bow and the firstbody count . [Trevor N. Dupuy, "Evolution of Weapons and Warfare".] All details of the battle come from Egyptian sources -- primarily the hieroglyphic writings on the Hall of Annals in the Temple of Amun atKarnak , Thebes (nowLuxor ), by the military scribe Tjaneni. By reestablishing Egyptian dominance in theLevant , Pharaoh Thutmose III began a reign in which Egyptian Empire reached its greatest expanse.Canaanite revolt
At the end of the reign of the female Egyptian Pharaoh
Hatshepsut , local rulers in the vicinity of modern-daySyria attempted to throw off the yoke of Egyptian hegemony. Thutmose III, who became pharaoh following the death of his stepmother Hatshepsut, had to deal immediately with this revolt.The Canaanites united and allied with the Kingdom of
Mitanni on the banks of theEuphrates . The driving and main force behind this revolt was the King ofKadesh . The powerful fortress of Kadesh offered protection to him and the city. The King of Megiddo, with an equally strong fortress, joined the alliance. The importance of Megiddo was always its geographical location. The city was located along the southwestern edge ofJezreel Valley just beyond the Mount Carmel ridge and the Mediterranean. From this location, Megiddo controlled the main trade route between Egypt andMesopotamia .Egyptian campaign
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