MEGIDDO 15 May 1479 b'c'

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MEGIDDO15 May 1479 b.c.

• Part 2 The Battle

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The Battle

• Twelve days from Gaza, the Egyptians encamped at
  Yehem, about 80 to 90 miles from Gaza and
  probably about 16 miles southwest of Megiddo.

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• That walled city was the target because
  Thutmoses intelligence corps had reported that
  the King of Kadesh and all his vassal kings were
  there.

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• At this point, Thutmose had three possible
  routes to Megiddo.

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• The road north to Aruna, along the ridge of
  Mount Carmel, turned northeast at that town and
  ran through a narrow pass directly to Megiddo.

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• His second alternative branched north-northeast
  just past Aruna and intersected the Tannach road
  north of Megiddo.

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• The third possibility was to take the road toward
  Damascus.
• This road ran eastward from Yehem and then hit a
  junction, which led north-northwest through
  Tannach.
• This route would enable him to approach Megiddo
  from the south.

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• Thutmoses advisors counseled either of the
  latter alternatives, as the pass was too narrow,
  inviting an ambush.

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Thutmose brushed their cautions aside,
determined to take the direct route.
He told them they could go by any route they
pleased, but he was going through the pass.
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For they, the enemy, abominated of Ra, consider
thus, Has His Majesty gone on another road? Then
he fears us, thus do they consider (Petrie, A
History of Egypt, vol. II, p. 105). His
subordinates reluctantly agreed to go with him.
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Whether through accurate supposition or by good
intelligence, Thutmose was correct in his choice.
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Apparently, the King of Kadesh never thought that
Thutmose would be stupid enough to commit his
force to a narrow defile, so he concentrated the
bulk of his army on the road near Tannach.
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Thutmose led his men out of Yehem toward Aruna on
13 May. As they approached the pass, he took
the point position in his chariot, certainly a
decision designed to inspire his troops and
assure them of the correctness of his decision.
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As they debouched from the pass, they encountered
only a small covering force, which they quickly
drove away.
Here Thutmose heeded his subordinates. Instead
of launching a pursuit, he agreed to deploy his
force in a defensive posture to allow the entire
column to come up.
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• Thutmose, either that afternoon or during the
  evening, decided not to attack the forces of
  Kadesh but instead to take up a position to the
  west of the city.

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Thutmose, either that afternoon or during the
evening, decided not to attack the forces of
Kadesh but instead to take up a position to the
west of the city.
Hearing of the arrival of the Egyptian army, the
King of Kadesh withdrew his forces back to
Megiddo.
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• On the night of 14 May, the two armies camped,
  facing each other.
• At dawn, Thutmose spread his forces in three
  groups.

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He commanded in the center, and his left flank
extended to the northwest of Megiddo, to be in a
position to block any enemy retreat on the road
that led northwest from the city.
The details of the battle are too sketchy to
determine how it was conducted.
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• All the contemporary chroniclers state is that
  the enemy fled before the pharaohs forces
• His Majesty went forth in his chariot of
  electrum adorned with his weapons of war, like
  Horus armed with talons, the Lord of might, like
  Mentu of Thebes, his father Amen-Ra strengthening
  his arms (Petrie, A History of Egypt, vol. II,
  p. 107).

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• Whatever the missing details, the Egyptians
  gained the upper hand, and the enemy fled in
  haste for the protection of the city walls,
  abandoning their camp and much of their materiel.
• That was what saved the Egyptians, at least
  temporarily.

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• The Egyptian troops, lured by the prospect of
  loot, abandoned the chase and turned themselves
  over to pillage.
• That allowed the enemy to escape, although just
  barely.

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• The residents of the city closed the gates
  rather too quickly, and the fleeing troops had to
  be hauled over the walls with ropes made of
  clothing.

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• Thutmose was not happy, and chastened his men.
• Had ye afterwards captured this city, behold I
  would have given a rich offering to Ra this
  day because every chief of every country that
  has revolted is within it (Breasted, A History
  of Egypt, p. 290).

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• Having failed to capture the city in a rush,
  Thutmose settled down for a siege.

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• He ordered a wall of circumvallation built of
  wood from the surrounding forests the rampart
  was called Thutmose, encloser of the Asiatics.
• In the wall, one gate was built, through which
  those inside the city that wished to surrender
  could exit.

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• The details of the siege were recorded on a roll
  of leather stored in the temple of Amon, but only
  the reference to that scroll survives.

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• The countryside was sufficiently lush to allow
  the Egyptians to eat well out of the fields and
  off the cattle and sheep herds.

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• The length of the siege is debatable, sources
  listing it as anywhere from 3 weeks to 7 months,
  although it was probably shorter rather than
  longer.

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• However long it took, the besieged finally ran
  out of food and surrendered.

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Remains of fortress foundations on the high
ground of Meggido.