Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Megiddo
Part of Thutmose III's first campaign in the Levant
Aerial view of Tel Megiddo
Date April 16, 1457 BC Location Megiddo, Canaan 32°35′07″N 35°11′04″E / 32.58528°N 35.18444°E / 32.58528; 35.18444 Result Egyptian victory Territorial expansion of the Egyptian Empire
Belligerents
Egyptian Empire	Canaanites Kadesh Megiddo Kingdom of Mitanni Hurrians
Commanders and leaders
Thutmose III	King of Kadesh Prince of Megiddo
Strength
Unknown; modern estimates: ca. 10,800	Unknown; modern estimates: ca. 10,700
Casualties and losses
4,000 killed 1,000 wounded	8,300 killed 3,400 captured

The Battle of Megiddo was a huge fight in ancient times. It happened around 1457 BC. The battle was between the powerful Egyptian army, led by their pharaoh, Thutmose III, and a group of rebellious states from Canaan. These states were led by the king of Kadesh.

This battle is super important because it's the first one we have detailed records about. It's also the first time we see the use of a special weapon called the composite bow. Plus, it's the first time a "body count" was recorded after a battle. Most of what we know comes from Egyptian writings. A military scribe named Tjaneni wrote it all down. These writings are on the walls of the Temple of Amun-Re in Karnak, Egypt.

The Egyptians won the battle. The Canaanite forces ran away and hid inside the city of Megiddo. This led to a long siege of Megiddo. By winning, Thutmose III helped Egypt become a very large and powerful empire.

How We Know About the Battle

During Thutmose III's first military trip to the Levant (an area in the Middle East), his personal writer, Tjaneni, kept a daily journal. Many years later, Thutmose III ordered artists to carve his military adventures onto the walls of the Amun-Re temple at Karnak.

These carvings, called the "Annals," tell us about 14 campaigns (military trips) led by Thutmose III. They also describe all the treasure he gained and the gifts he received from conquered lands. The records show how ancient Egyptians believed their gods helped them in war. They thought that praising and offering gifts to the gods would bring divine help.

The Annals also show how important the Battle of Megiddo was. After Thutmose III's victory and his other successful trips, Egypt grew into a powerful empire. The carvings even show international meetings where gifts were exchanged with other strong kingdoms like Babylon and the Hittite Empire.

The Fight for Canaan

Pharaoh Thutmose III wanted to make sure Egypt stayed strong in the Levant. He took over after his stepmother, Hatshepsut, stopped ruling for him. He quickly responded to a rebellion by local rulers near Kadesh. These rulers were trying to break away from Egypt.

The Canaanites had teamed up with other groups like the Mitanni. The main leader of this rebellion was the King of Kadesh. Kadesh was a strong fortress that protected him. The King of Megiddo, who also had a strong fortress, joined the rebels.

Megiddo was very important because of its location. It was near the Jezreel Valley and the Mount Carmel mountains. From here, Megiddo controlled the Via Maris. This was a major trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Thutmose's Bold Plan

The Egyptian records from the Temple of Karnak come from Tjaneni's daily journal. These records say Thutmose gathered a large army of chariots and infantry (foot soldiers). It was probably between ten and twenty thousand men.

Meanwhile, the King of Kadesh gathered many tribal leaders from Syria and Canaan. They had about ten to fifteen thousand men. They went into Megiddo and waited near the waters of Taanach. The rebels expected the Egyptians to come by a longer, safer route.

The Egyptian army started at a border fort called Tjaru. Ten days later, they reached the loyal city of Gaza. After one day of rest, they marched north for eleven days to Yehem. Here, Thutmose sent out scouts to check the area.

To get to Megiddo, the army had to cross the Carmel mountain range. Beyond it lay the Jezreel Valley and the city of Megiddo. There were three possible paths from Yehem to Megiddo. Two paths were longer but safer. The middle path, through Aruna (modern Wadi Ara), was shorter but very risky. It was a narrow pass where soldiers could only walk in single file. If enemies waited at the end, the Egyptians could be easily attacked.

Thutmose's army leaders begged him not to take the dangerous middle road. But Thutmose III decided to take the direct path. He believed that if his generals thought the safer routes were obvious, then his enemy would think so too. So, he chose to do the unexpected.

Surprise Attack

The King of Kadesh had placed many soldiers to guard the two safer paths. He hardly guarded the risky Aruna route. Thutmose ignored the danger of spreading out his army in the mountains. He led his men through Aruna himself.

The city was only lightly guarded by the enemy. Thutmose led a quick attack, scattered the rebels, and entered the valley without a fight. Now, the Egyptian army had a clear path to Megiddo. The main rebel forces were far away.

The Battle and Siege

A carving in the Karnak Temple showing Thutmosis III defeating Canaanite captives from the Battle of Megiddo.

Thutmose quickly took advantage of the situation. He set up camp, but during the night, he moved his soldiers very close to the enemy. The next morning, they attacked. We don't know if the King of Kadesh was fully ready for battle. Even if he was, it didn't help much.

The rebels were on high ground near their fortress. But the Egyptian army formed a curved line with three parts. This threatened both sides of the Canaanite army. Both sides had about 1,000 chariots and 10,000 foot soldiers. The Pharaoh led the attack from the middle.

The Egyptians had a better position and more soldiers in key spots. Their left side moved quickly and attacked boldly. This broke the enemy's spirit, and their line quickly fell apart. Those near the city ran into it and closed the gates behind them.

The Egyptian soldiers then started taking treasures from the enemy camp. They captured 924 chariots and 200 suits of armor. But this caused confusion. While the Egyptians were busy plundering, the scattered Canaanite soldiers, including the kings of Kadesh and Megiddo, managed to get back inside the city. People inside lowered ropes made of tied-together clothes. They pulled the men and chariots up over the walls. Because of this, the Egyptians lost their chance to capture the city quickly.

The city was then surrounded for seven months. The King of Kadesh managed to escape. Thutmose built a ditch and a wooden fence around the city. Eventually, the people inside were forced to give up.

Records at Karnak say the winning army took home many things. These included 340 prisoners, over 2,000 horses, 924 chariots, and 200 suits of armor. They also took cattle, sheep, and the royal armor and chariot of the King of Megiddo. The city and its people were spared. Several other cities in the Jezreel Valley were conquered, and Egyptian control was restored.

What Happened After

This battle greatly expanded Egypt's power. As historian Paul K. Davis wrote, "By reestablishing Egyptian dominance in Canaan, Thutmose began a reign in which Egypt reached its greatest expanse as an empire."

Thutmose III made the defeated kings send one of their sons to the Egyptian court. There, these sons received an Egyptian education. When they returned home, they would rule with friendly feelings towards Egypt.

However, the victory at Megiddo was just the start. Thutmose III had to lead several more campaigns almost every year to fully calm the region. An interesting fact is that the word Armageddon comes from the name Megiddo.

Images for kids

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  Aerial view of Tel Megiddo

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  A carving in the Karnak Temple showing Thutmosis III defeating Canaanite captives from the Battle of Megiddo.