The defeat of Egyptian in the Battle of Carchemish

After the destruction of Nineveh in 612 by a combined Babylonian and Median army lead by Nabopolassar, the Assyrian dynast, Ashuruballit II, moved his capital to Haran.

This stronghold was then captured in 610. Ashuruballit was able to secure an alliance with Necho II of Egypt and continued to claim territory along the Upper Euphrates for the next several years. In 609 BC Necho II, grew fearful of the increasing threat of the Babylonians and moved up the coast of Palestine and Syria toward the site of Carchemish to assist the Assyrians.

Carchemish was located on the west bank of the Euphrates River in north Syria at the north end of a plain that ran the Euphrates. As the Assyrian empire declined, the Egyptians took control of Carchemish in 609 BC and made the city a base for launching raids against the Babylonians.

With the Egyptians moving to join the confrontation, Josiah, the pro-Babylonian king of Judah, attempted to intercept Necho II at Megiddo and was killed in the ensuing battle. Necho then continued on to Carchemish.

In the late spring of 605 BC, a surprise attack by Nebuchadnezzar II penetrated the city’s defense. The ensuing battle involved fierce hand-to-hand combat and the Egyptians were utterly routed.

In the May 605 BC, the remnants of the once ‘invisible’ Assyrian army were defeated. Necho’s, army included a large contingent of mercenary soldiers made up of Ethiopians, Libyans, and Lydian, but Necho’s efforts were not enough.

After heavy losses on both sides, the Egyptians army hastily retreated in disarray. The victory was achieved under the leadership of the crown prince, Nebuchadnezzar.

That battle marked the end of an era and signaled a major change on the political scene of the ancient Near East, a change that drastically altered the course of history for the kingdom of Judah.

In addition it also set the stage for an even larger Persian empire that will be succeed the short Neo-Babylonian period.
The defeat of Egyptian in the Battle of Carchemish