[ahtimeline-event-heading]
Thutmose III claimed that, “capturing Megiddo is as good as capturing one thousand cities.” The city controlled a strategic pass along the main trade route into Egypt. It was situated on a huge fertile plain – the Esdraelon
His first priority was to capture this strategic city that controlled the main trade route into Egypt. The Egyptians had once controlled the city but that was before the troubles that eventually led to the rule of the Hyksos in Egypt.
Thutmose III marched north with his army, which consisted of many chariots. This would be one of the first major battles in which chariots would be used. The chariot would have been introduced into Egypt by the Hyksos.
Megiddo, at that time, was defended by a coalition of Canaanite city states led by the king of Kadesh.
Thutmose III provides a detailed account of his battle at Megiddo on the walls of his temple at Karnak.
Virtually every major invader of Israel has had to fight a battle in the Jezreel Valley. Egyptians, Canaanites, Israelites, Midianites, Amalekites, Philistines, Hasmoneans, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslims, Crusaders, Mamlukes, Mongols, Palestinians, French, Ottomans, British, Australians, Germans, Arabs and Israelis have all fought and died here. The names of the warring leaders who have battled in this small valley reverberate throughout history: Here, in 1479 B.C., Pharaoh Thutmose III fought the first battle in recorded history. Here, too, battled Deborah, Barak and Sisera (Judges 4:1–24, 5:1–31); Gideon conducted the first known night campaign here (Judges 6:3–8:28); and Saul and his son Jonathan fought their last heroic battle in the valley (1 Samuel 28–31; 2 Samuel 1; 1 Chronicles 10). Pharaoh Sheshonq I (c. 945–924 B.C.; probably the biblical pharaoh Shishak), fought here, as did the Israelite kings Jehu and Joram and Queen Jezebel (2 Kings 9:14–37; 2 Chronicles 22:5–9). Later, Antiochus, Ptolemy, Vespasian, Saladin, Napoleon and Allenby fought here. Indeed, the turbulent history of Israel and Judah, Canaan and Palestine, is reflected in microcosm in this blood-soaked little valley.
In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept. After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. (2 Chr. 35:19-24 ESV)
Queen Mother
One of the puzzles of Thutmose III’s reign is his relationship to his
step-mother, the queen-regent, Hatshepsut. Because Thutmose III came
to the throne when he was… the queen, Thuthomse II first wife, assumed
control. This was not a normal state of affairs. There are only two
other instances of a queen ruling in Egypt. Nevertheless, it would seem
that Egypt prospered during Hatshepsut’s reign. Hatshepsut did not
relinquish control when Thuthmose came of age, but she did not try to
put him away either. Thutmose III was given control of the military,
which suggests that there was a fair degree of trust between the two.
Thutmose III became pharaoh only after the death of Hatshepsut.
left behind was that he ordered his mothers name removed from all of
her sculptures. One might have expected such a thing to have occurred
immediately upon the death of Hatshepsut, but it doesn’t seem to have
occurred the end of the reign of Thutmose III’s reign. Furthermore, it
seems that Thutmose was not prevented from exercising considerable power
during the time of his co-regency with Hatshepsut. He had full control
of the army.
Why was Hatshepsut’s memory condemned to oblivion?
[ahtimeline-event-heading]
Thutmose III claimed that, “capturing Megiddo is as good as capturing one thousand cities.” The city controlled a strategic pass along the main trade route into Egypt. It was situated on a huge fertile plain – the Esdraelon
His first priority was to capture this strategic city that controlled the main trade route into Egypt. The Egyptians had once controlled the city but that was before the troubles that eventually led to the rule of the Hyksos in Egypt.
Thutmose III marched north with his army, which consisted of many chariots. This would be one of the first major battles in which chariots would be used. The chariot would have been introduced into Egypt by the Hyksos.
Megiddo, at that time, was defended by a coalition of Canaanite city states led by the king of Kadesh.
Thutmose III provides a detailed account of his battle at Megiddo on the walls of his temple at Karnak.
Virtually every major invader of Israel has had to fight a battle in the Jezreel Valley. Egyptians, Canaanites, Israelites, Midianites, Amalekites, Philistines, Hasmoneans, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslims, Crusaders, Mamlukes, Mongols, Palestinians, French, Ottomans, British, Australians, Germans, Arabs and Israelis have all fought and died here. The names of the warring leaders who have battled in this small valley reverberate throughout history: Here, in 1479 B.C., Pharaoh Thutmose III fought the first battle in recorded history. Here, too, battled Deborah, Barak and Sisera (Judges 4:1–24, 5:1–31); Gideon conducted the first known night campaign here (Judges 6:3–8:28); and Saul and his son Jonathan fought their last heroic battle in the valley (1 Samuel 28–31; 2 Samuel 1; 1 Chronicles 10). Pharaoh Sheshonq I (c. 945–924 B.C.; probably the biblical pharaoh Shishak), fought here, as did the Israelite kings Jehu and Joram and Queen Jezebel (2 Kings 9:14–37; 2 Chronicles 22:5–9). Later, Antiochus, Ptolemy, Vespasian, Saladin, Napoleon and Allenby fought here. Indeed, the turbulent history of Israel and Judah, Canaan and Palestine, is reflected in microcosm in this blood-soaked little valley.
In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept. After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.” Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. And the archers shot King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. (2 Chr. 35:19-24 ESV)
Queen Mother
One of the puzzles of Thutmose III’s reign is his relationship to his
step-mother, the queen-regent, Hatshepsut. Because Thutmose III came
to the throne when he was… the queen, Thuthomse II first wife, assumed
control. This was not a normal state of affairs. There are only two
other instances of a queen ruling in Egypt. Nevertheless, it would seem
that Egypt prospered during Hatshepsut’s reign. Hatshepsut did not
relinquish control when Thuthmose came of age, but she did not try to
put him away either. Thutmose III was given control of the military,
which suggests that there was a fair degree of trust between the two.
Thutmose III became pharaoh only after the death of Hatshepsut.
left behind was that he ordered his mothers name removed from all of
her sculptures. One might have expected such a thing to have occurred
immediately upon the death of Hatshepsut, but it doesn’t seem to have
occurred the end of the reign of Thutmose III’s reign. Furthermore, it
seems that Thutmose was not prevented from exercising considerable power
during the time of his co-regency with Hatshepsut. He had full control
of the army.
Why was Hatshepsut’s memory condemned to oblivion?