Battle of Megiddo: How a Pharaoh’s Cunning Strategy Shaped the Ancient World

The Battle of Megiddo It is considered one of the greatest military battles in ancient history, as the battle is taught in military academies in the majority of countries in the world to this day. Military experts in the West called King Thutmose III the “Napoleon of the Ancient East.” The battle began in the twenty-second year of Thutmose’s rule. The third, approximately in 1475 BC.

The city of Megiddo, in northwestern Palestine today, is considered one of the most important military and spiritual sites. Throughout history, this city has witnessed some decisive battles in the future of politics in the Middle East, perhaps the last of which was the battle of British General Edmund Allenby in 1918, in which the army was defeated. The Ottoman Empire then took control of Syria. From the name of this city, the word “Armageddon” is derived, which is mentioned in the Old Testament (the Torah), which refers to the decisive battle between Christ after he came down again to fight Satan and defeat him, and security, safety, and faith would prevail throughout the world.

What is historically proven is that before the following battles, a very important battle took place on the land of this Palestinian city that decided the history of the Middle East for several centuries to come. It was the famous battle of Tuthmosis III, Pharaoh of Egypt, confronting the King of Kadesh and the gatherings of Syrian mini-states to get rid of Egyptian hegemony and the possibility of occupying Egypt and eliminating its military and cultural power.

The Reign of the Pharaoh and the Road to Megiddo

Thutmose III is considered the sixth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, the greatest ruler of Egypt, and one of the most powerful emperors in history. He founded a modern Egyptian empire at that time, and that empire remained until about 1070 BC, during the reign of Ramses XI.

Thutmose III is called the Father of Empires, and he is also called the first emperor in history, as he is considered one of the outstanding geniuses in the history of the military throughout the ages. His military plans are studied at many military colleges and institutes around the world. He was the first to divide the army into a core and two wings, and the empire used the British to develop many of its plans in its battles, especially in its battles against the Ottoman Empire in World War I.

Thutmose III Military Campaigns

The book “Warrior Pharaohs: Diplomats and Military Personnel” by Dr. Hussein Abdel Basir confirms that Thutmose III remained in the shadows for a long period until Queen Hatshepsut was absent or excluded from the political scene in the country, and the lion came out of his den to show us the legendary personality of King Thutmose III, recording the glory of Military Egypt, written in letters of Nour and Azaz, in all the military colleges and academies of the world.

“Thutmose III” engraved the scene of his coronation as king of Egypt on the walls of the Karnak Temple in a wonderful ceremony that represented a representative description that dwarfs the imaginary stories that we read or watch on the white screen, according to the Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt by Selim Hassan.

According to the encyclopedia, the Battle of Megiddo, in which Thutmose III fought the armies of the Syrian alliance under the command of the ruler of Kadesh, is the first military battle in the history of the ancient world of which noteworthy details remain. The credit for this is due to the diary that Thutmose III left on one of the walls of the Karnak Temple. It was apparently the custom in the Egyptian army during the era of the empire to write diaries about the progress of fighting during the campaigns carried out by the pharaoh.

The Battle of Megiddo: Thutmose III’s Masterful Military Tactics

One of those great battles that were immortalized in ancient Egyptian history was the Battle of Megiddo, which took place between the ancient Egyptians and Kadesh and took place in the fifteenth century BC. The Egyptian army was led by Thutmose III, and the military campaign was a wonderful plan with strong precision and implementation. We see him marching towards Gaza in ten days, occupying the city, and making his way to Megiddo, which rebelled against his rule under the leadership of the Prince of Kadesh.

Dr. Hussein Abdel Basir mentioned in his book “The Warriors of the Pharaohs” that there was a problem in choosing the appropriate route that the forces had to take to Megiddo. There were two usual routes, but Tuthmosis III chose the unexpected, narrow, and most dangerous and rugged route in order to surprise the enemy and eliminate him. The great victory was won by the ally of the warrior pharaoh, Thutmose III, after he besieged the city for seven months.

Thutmose III’s Battle Strategy

Tuthmosis III built castles and forts, trained soldiers in the best exercises, provided them with powerful, innovative weapons such as modern arrows, and expanded the use of chariots in combat. In the Battle of Megiddo campaign, he divided his army into a heart and two wings and used military tactics and maneuvers that were not known before. Then he rose at the head of his army from Qantara and covered a distance of 150 miles in ten days, after which he reached Gaza.

Then he covered another eighty miles in eleven days between Gaza and one of the cities at the foot of Mount Carmel. There, Tuthmosis III held a war council with his officers after he learned that the Emir of Kadesh He came to the city“ of Megiddo and gathered around him 230 princes with their armies and camped in the fortified Megiddo to stop the advance of Tuthmosis III and his army.

“There were three ways to reach Megiddo, two of them circumnavigating the foot of Mount Carmel, and the third was a narrow corridor, but it led directly to Megiddo. Thutmose decided that the army would pass through the third corridor in an adventure that later turned the tide of the battle.

The forces of the Emperor of Kadesh and his allies were stationed at the ends of two wide roads, believing that the Egyptian army would come from one or both of them. At dawn the next day, King Thutmose III ordered the army to reassemble the chariots and prepare for a surprise attack. His forces attacked Megiddo, led by them in the forefront in the form of a semi-circle, and it was a surprise that the Egyptians initiated this sweeping attack.

They were disturbed and lost their balance until their armies became in a state of chaos and disorganization, and the leaders of the armies and companies began to flee, leaving behind their large vehicles and their camp full of spoils to enter the fortified city. Because the Egyptian army was busy collecting spoils, the Asians were able to escape to the city and barricade themselves there.

The consequence of the army’s departure to collect spoils at a time when they could have eliminated the armies of the Prince of Kadesh and achieved complete victory was that Thutmose III was forced to besiege Megiddo for seven long months until the princes surrendered and sent their sons carrying weapons to deliver them to King Thutmose III.

Thutmose III‘s victory at Megiddo

Those who were killed were killed, and the remaining soldiers fled into the castle of Megiddo, barricading themselves in it. Tuthmosis III besieged the castle, dug a trench around it, and built a wooden wall, preventing anyone from leaving or entering it. So everyone in the castle surrendered, and the army received the castle with everything in it, and Tuthmosis reconciled with them and pledged allegiance to him in obedience, and none of them were killed.

A prisoner or any individual, whether military or civilian, because this is the ethics of the Egyptian army. Before the battle, Thutmose addressed his soldiers, saying to them, “Do not kill a prisoner, nor an old man, nor a woman, nor a child” but give bread to the hungry.” Thutmose won a great victory in the Battle of Megiddo and returned to Egypt with many spoils, which were “340 prisoners.” And 2041 horses, 6 stallions, 924 chariots, 200 shields, 502 bows, 1929 cattle, and 22500 sheep, in addition to the royal shield and the tent of the King of Megiddo.

Conclusion

The Battle of Megiddo stands as a testament to Thutmose III’s military genius and the pivotal role it played in shaping the ancient world. This decisive victory cemented Egypt’s dominance in the region and paved the way for centuries of prosperity and influence. By understanding the strategic importance of Megiddo and the brilliant tactics employed by Thutmose III, we gain valuable insights into the power dynamics and geopolitical landscape of the ancient Near East. The legacy of this epic battle continues to captivate historians and military strategists alike, making it a truly remarkable chapter in the annals of history.