Battle of Megiddo
The Battle of Megiddo is the first battle in history for which a detailed tactical account survives, recorded on the walls of the Annals of Thutmose III at the Temple of Karnak. The Canaanite coalition, led by the King of Kadesh, chose to defend the city of Megiddo (modern Tel Megiddo in northern Israel), a strategic pass controlling access to the Jezreel Valley. Thutmose III rejected his generals' cautious advice and led his army through the narrow Aruna pass, emerging to the south of the enemy force and catching it off guard. After a decisive charge, the Canaanite forces fled to Megiddo's walls; the city fell after a seven-month siege. The battle secured Egyptian control over Canaan for generations. Thutmose III would campaign 17 times in the Levant over 20 years, extending Egypt's empire to the Euphrates.
- Year: 1457 BCE
- Category: Military
