| The Conquest of Kadesh - comparing the Egyptian Record with the Bible |
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| Like here at Damascus in a more modern setting, crowds also gathered before the city gate of Jerusalem. The arrival of the troops of Pharaoh may have looked similar in some ways. Notice the people on the wall. |
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Left: Older photo of Jerusalem from the north-east with Mount of Olives and the Muslim mosque. Bottom: Temple area and Mount of Olives. 
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"Now, if only the army of his majesty had not given their heart to plundering the things of the enemy, they would have [captured] Megiddo at this moment, when the wretched foe of Kadesh and the wretched foe of this city were hauled up in haste to bring them into this city...." [Ibid., Sec. 430] It appears that the `wretched foe of Kadesh', Rehoboam, escaped via some secret route from Megiddo and headed apparently for his own capital Jerusalem before that city was taken.1) That he survived and was not taken prisoner was due to his unconditional surrender and the opening of the gates of Jerusalem - a high price to pay for his failures. 1) To assume a secret way of escape all the way to Jerusalem seems rather arbitrary and probably never occurred. The Judean king had other things on his mind rather than to defend little Megiddo. That would have left his own capital without its supreme commander, a situation which helps us understand that `Mkty' was not Megiddo. |
| The case of `Mkty' as Megiddo vs `Mkty' as the region around Jerusalem |
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According to Breasted, the name of the city was `Mkty'. It seems however that the Egyptian scribes met with some difficulties in rendering the place names in hieroglyphics ... As we noted Gauthier read the name as `Makta'. In later 19th Dynasty inscriptions the name's last element `ty' or `ti' is written as `sh', `s' or `tsh' making it `Mksh' or `Mktsh'. We have written evidence from 10th century AD Arabic sources that Jerusalem was called `Bait-al-Makdis' or just plain `Makdis'. The 10th century writer who mentions this name called himself `Mukadassi' - the Jerusalemite. [Mukadassi in his description of Syria, p. 34] What about Taanach? How do the Egyptian documents pinpoint Taanach? Taanach was transliterated from the hieroglyphics yielding "T'( )n'-k". The inscriptions refer next to a more northerly town by the name of "Df-ty" (Zefti). This could be the biblical `Zephathah' known from the days of the successor of Rehobeam, king Asa of Judah and his battle against Zera, the Ethiopian/Egyptian king/general under Amenhotep II. We read: "Then went Asa out against them ... Zerah the Ethiopian ... and they set the battle in array in the vallay of Zeph-athah' at Mareshah." [2.Chronicles 14:10; See also Breasted, `Records', Vol. II, Sec. 421, 426] A more decisive geographical locater is `the difficult road' and `Aruna'. Those two descriptions lead invariably to the Beth-horon ascent and the threshing floor of Aruna, the Jebusite. From the above verse it is clear that `Zephathah' is located to the south, in the Negeve region of Israel. Therefore to conclude that `T-n-k' is Taanach is not for sure. There were many towns and hamlets even in those days which could account for `T-n-k'. |
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Which Scenario should we credit with the better explanation? The List of pros and cons 1. The Egyptian army could not reach Megiddo undetected and the mostly level land should have given Rehoboam the opportunity to put up for a fight. 2. At Wadi Ara there is no place where the Egyptian army could fill the valley at the mouth of the pass they had just traversed. 3. The road to Aruna is also philologically not the Wadi Ara. 4. `Mkty' could also be `Mksh' or `Mktsh'. 5. The logistics and time used fit the Beth Horon to Gibeon, Makedo, Jerusalem scenario better. 6. There was more to be had in Jerusalem than in Megiddo. 7. The 3 pillared grid and other aspects we mention require placing Thutmose III into the time of Jeroboam. |
| The Egyptian Records | The Biblical and Geographical Records |
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The `Brook of Kina' we explained above. When Thutmose raided locations northwest of `Mkty', again, Meggido as well as Jerusalem offer choice locations. To the northwest of Megiddo is a valley stretching alongside the Carmel range toward the Mediterranean Sea. If we transpose this scene to the environs of Jerusalem there are likewise several possible valleys, slopes, towns and hills to choose from where he could have been moving around in on his arrival from the steep `Road of Aruna'. It becomes apparent therefore that the `steep Road to Aruna' is a more decisive factor than any other geographical markers mentioned and that is why we elaborate on it. While Thutmose not infrequently decapitated or otherwise killed the inhabitants of conquered locations he seems to have done less of that to those from Retenu. We read: "... I deprieved their nostrils of their breath." "It (the diadem on his brow) burned all those in their settlements with flame decapitating the heads of the Amu foreigners, their children fell to its power." "I have come, I have given thee to strike those who belong to the land of Sat [probably Arabia], thou hast taken captive the heads of Retenu they see Thy majesty equipped with the decorations ..." [SBA, `Records of the Past', Vol. II, `Tablet of Thutmose III', Sec. 8, 10, 14] |
The biblical record gives us no clue how Shishak used his troops and any other activities taking place. In its brevity the account just states the significant facts as the Jewish writers thought of them. We read: "And he (Shishak) took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam ... Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves ... And when the lord saw that they humbled themselves, he said: ... therefore I will not destroy them (the Israelites, the people of Jerusalem), but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. ... So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all..."[2.Chronicles 12:4-9] The intend of the biblical account is that the walls of Jerusalem were not breached and no significant damage was done to the city. Thutmose was ingenious in doing so, for a people who still had their city left to them could pay future tribute while a completely devastated, killed or enslaved population could not. 
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| The Campaigns of Thutmose III |
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1. First Campaign - Year 23 - the chronologically important aspects we described above. This campaign was a multi-prong approach from the north [Sec. 425] and south encircling `Mkty'. The approach from the north was deemed the more dangerous because it led them on the Road to Aruna. The southern approach led them past the brook Kina. (a small gully or rainy season stream between sloping mountains) 2. Second Campaign - Year 24 - a roundtrip march through Palestine and southern Syria (line 1)to collect tribute and spread his fame. 3. Third Campaign - Year 25 - the annals contain no account of this inspection type campaign. 4. Fourth Campaign - no records were found. 5. Fifth Campaign - Year 29 - This campaign initiated a new series of efforts reaching further north then before. Place names include Tunip and Arvad. 6. Sixth Campaign - Year 30 - The Egyptian army first arrived at Kadesh (Jerusalem) and from there headed north to the Phoenician coast established a harbor base and began, like Solomon before, go from port to port along the coast collecting riches. The difference is that according to all appearances Solomon traded goods while Thutmose demanded tribute. All Solomon did was sending out where merchant mariners with no significant numbers of army units while Thutmose was accompanied by his troops wherever he went. If the 23rd year of Thutmose, including the reign of Hatshepsut, was the 5th year of Rehoboam, 925 BC, then was the 30th year the 12th of Rehoboam. The scriptural account only states about this embarrassing period in the history of Judah that "... they shall be his servants; that they may know the service, and the service of the kingdoms of the [other] countries." [2.Chronicles 12:8] It seems the reference to `the service of the kingdoms of the (other) countries' complements the Egyptians, almost annual campaigns, into these regions far beyond their border. In the end the campaign against Jerusalem was just one event, may be not even the most significant according to the Egyptian viewpoint. But significant it was for it was the destination of the first campaign and emboldened Pharaoh for his future prowess and greed. The detail of Pharaoh employing now ships on the Sea to transport his troops and the loot echoes the era of Solomon's marine ventures. Placing these events into the 15th century allows no such parallels and corroborative evidence. That the `Kadesh' of the annals of Thutmose III was Jerusalem and not a place along the Orontes River can be seen by the fact that the Orontes is not mentioned and only conjectured into the story. 7. Seventh Campaign - Year 31 - Directed along the Phoenician coast and of lesser chronological help. 8. Eighth Campaign - Year 33 - This campaign was his most ambitious one in that it took him all the way to Carchemish which would 310 years later figure so much in the campaign of Ramses II against Kadesh. It may amaze us today how often ancient armies traveled very long distances and still be an effective figting force after getting to wherever they had a score to settle. All in all we count 17 campaigns resulting in riches beyond measure. Below we posted some tribute by locations only without regard to which campaign they occur in to get a total of the presumably more valuable items like horses, gold and silver items. To be continued as time allows |
| `Mkty' | Arvad | Yenoam, Nuges, Herenkeru | Assur | Tunip |
| 2,041 mares, 191 foals, 6 stallions, 924 chariots, much cattle | 30 horses, much cattle | gold - 966 deben and 1 kidet | 1 chariot, 190+ wagons | gold - 100 deben |
| Princes of Rezenu | Ullaza | Naharin | Punt |
| 19 chariots, 41 golden bracelets, silver - 761 deben, much cattle | 26 horses, 13 chariots |
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The California Institute for Ancient Studies The Geo-Archaeological Survey Website to locate the ancient, biblical `Beth-Horon Road'. The route Thutmose III took to Mkty led from about Gaza 25 miles north to Jamania, which was then a sea coast town separated today from the ocean by sand dunes, in order to provide water for his troops and animals, then south-east to Zeft/Zephathah/Maresha (2.Chronicles 11:8) to get near the central hill country where a choice of 3 routes to Mkty opened up. The next watering station may have been near Gibeon. The `Pools of Gibeon' are located near today's `Al Jib' village which occupies the place of ancient `Gibeon'. You may get an idea of today's appearance of these pools by visiting Bible Places Gibeon website. While the location of the pools may be of interest, for our purposes the `Road to Aruna' is of even greater interest. It is not easy today to find images or road maps with enough detail to pinpoint this road and what it may look like today. It appears Thutmose arrived at Zefti/Zephatha east of today's Kiryat Gath near a place called Beit Guvrin located about 2-3 miles north-east of the ruins of Lachish. From there they travelled north toward the Avalon Valley where there is a small location called Mevo Horon. The larger Palestinian city of Ramallah is closest to the road of interest. From the description of the surrounding area it appears that is were the pass may have been located. A few pictures may let us get an idea of the general area. We assume the actual steep route taken by pharaoh may be off a main road in the interior or it may be wooded or have suffered damage by bulldozers and/or modern developmental projects. Does the Ma'aleh Beit Horon Road have anything to do with it? We don't know yet. Also modern roads, small or larger, may cross it at some point. No doubt it would take an experienced, geologically/geographically keen investigator to sort out a likely physical location for this ancient road. Private properties or political protected areas may make such an assignment difficult if not impossible today. Perhaps it may be possible to obtain aerial images (showing more than just an above view like a lower angle to appreciate heights) from the likeliest region and learn its location from them. Basically it appears that we are looking for a cliff like section of mountainous area perhaps about half a mile or 1 mile in length running in a somewhat curved east/westerly direction with access toward Tel Aviv and north to the region of Al Jib. For our purposes the difficult, steep part of this road is of greater interest to us. Some sources mention that between the Upper and the Lower Beth Horon road the terrain drops from a little over 2000 feet to some 1200 feet above sea level. A drop of some 800 feet within two miles distance. If any traces of a cliff hugging path were discernible that would be the goal of our inquiry. Any travelers with similar interests who could help in this search would be very much appreciated. Studying a modern Israeli road map it appears that the road should emerge somewhere near Tel Aviv's Yehuda and from there proceed toward Bidya and Kifl Haran (spelling uncertain) or if it is further south, Beit Arieh/Halamish, but we are not certain about this. A small map of the `Corridor to Jerusalem' can be seen in BAR, Vol. VIII, Mar/Apr 1982, p. 30. This map shows the lay out of stream beds in the region flowing west toward the Sea as well as east toward the Jordan River. The Lower and Upper Beth Horon locations are marked. |
Crawl out of this tomb
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