The Battle of Megiddo is the earliest battle recorded in reliable detail and marks the first documented use of the composite bow and body count.
Key Facts
- Date (Egyptian calendar)
- 21st day, 1st month, 3rd season, Year 23 of Thutmose III
- Approximate modern date
- April 16, 1457 BC (disputed)
- First recorded use
- Composite bow and military body count
- Primary source
- Hall of Annals, Temple of Amun-Re, Karnak
- Military scribe
- Tjaneni
- Outcome
- Egyptian victory; siege of Megiddo followed
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Canaanite vassal states under Egyptian suzerainty formed a large rebellious coalition led by the king of Kadesh, challenging Egyptian imperial authority in the Levant and prompting Pharaoh Thutmose III to lead a military campaign into the region.
Egyptian forces commanded by Thutmose III engaged the Canaanite coalition near the city of Megiddo in the 15th century BC. The Egyptians routed the rebel forces, who retreated and took refuge within Megiddo, leading to a subsequent siege of the city.
The Egyptian victory reestablished dominance over the Levant and inaugurated an era of maximum territorial expansion for the Egyptian Empire under Thutmose III. The battle was meticulously recorded by scribe Tjaneni, making it the earliest engagement preserved in what is considered relatively reliable historical detail.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Pharaoh Thutmose III.
Side B
1 belligerent
King of Kadesh.